I Know that Life is Strange
by Catboiler
Summary: Sequel to my novelisation of Life is Strange, so please read that first. Max has a second chance at saving Chloe, but this time she has no intention of using her powers, and only has her knowledge of the week to help her. Totally AU, but I'm (at least initially) sticking to canon events (ie, things will happen as they are supposed to, characters will behave as they're supposed to.
1. Introduction

**Author's Introduction**

 **MAJOR SPOILERS**

Two things before you start reading.

First, if you haven't yet played the game and are intending to play it, _please don't read this_ , or the story that comes before this. There are major spoilers for the events of the game in both stories, and I don't want to spoil your first playthrough.

Second, if you haven't read my previous story, please read that first. It's called 'Life is Strange' and it is a full novelisation of the events of the game. This story picks up exactly where that one leaves off, and as such is kind of a sequel, so I would urge you to read that first, otherwise a lot that happens in this story might not make sense.

The story prior to this one, called Life is Strange, was a full novelisation of the events of the game. I didn't stick blindly to the game script, I expanded on dialogue and encounters, and I added in scenes exploring events from other characters' points of view. At the end, Max realises her love for Chloe, and that the depth of her feelings means she has to let her friend go. She travels back, meaning to sacrifice Chloe to save the town, but at the crucial moment can't go through with it, sets off the fire alarm, and starts the whole week off again.

It's at this point that this story picks up. I do not plan to follow canon at all in this story. This will be an exploration of the events of the game, but Max will not use her rewind powers, at least intially. We'll see what happens as the week progresses. She must get through the week, armed only with the foreknowledge of what is to come, and faced with unknown consequences of changing the events that she knows about, in order to effect a better outcome at the end of the week. As I write this introduction, I do not yet know what will happen, one reason I'm writing the story, I suppose.

As always, I'm grateful for any reviews/comments/suggestions that come my way, so please do let me know how I'm getting on. I'll endeavour to answer reviews and questions personally, and as before, I'll reserve any author's notes for the very last chapter.

 _Catboiler. 1_ _st_ _June 2016._


	2. 01 Again

Silence.

She looked at the photo she'd just taken as the butterfly sprang back into life and fluttered around the bathroom. It slipped out of her numb fingers as she sank to her knees, waiting for Nathan to open the door. It seemed like an age, but soon, he did so.

"It's cool, Nathan… don't stress… you're ok, bro. Just count to three… Don't be scared… you own this school. If I wanted, I could blow it up… you're the boss, Nathan. Remember that."

The door banged open once more. Max sneaked a look around the back of the stalls and saw Nathan in his expensive brown jacket, holding his head and looking in the mirror. Chloe stepped inside and closed the door behind her. She checked the three stalls before returning to Nathan.

"So what do you want," said Nathan, looking up at her.

"I hope you checked the perimeter, as my step-ass would say," said Chloe. "Now, let's talk bidness."

"I got nothing for you."

"Wrong," she said. "You got hella cash."

"That's my family, not me." Nathan continued to show his back to Chloe, and Max felt her knees begin to tremble fiercely.

 _This isn't fucking fair! After all I've done this week, I have to watch the girl I love die? Shot in the bathroom by… a psycho? And she won't even know I'm there, she won't know about everything we've been through._

"Oh boo hoo, poor little rich kid. I know you've been pumpin' drugs n shit to kids around here." She walked slowly and deliberately to the sink to the right of Nathan, and looked directly into his face. "Perhaps I'm talking to the wrong people, huh? Perhaps I should be talking to your _respectable_ family, let them know exactly what their _perfect_ son Nathan Prescott gets up to. Dealing drugs. I bet _they_ would help me out if I went to them. Man, I can see the headlines now…"

"Leave them out of this, bitch."

"… I can tell everybody that Nathan Prescott is a punk ass who begs like a little girl and talks to himself… Don't think I don't know you, asshole."

 _Chloe… I love you so much…_

Suddenly, Nathan stood up, pushed the girl back against the door of the bathroom and pulled out a gun, pointing it right at her face. Her expression changed instantly. This was going south very quickly.

"You don't know who the _fuck_ I am or who you're messing with, bitch! You've got some fucking nerve, coming in here and talking to me like that!"

"Where'd you get that, Nathan? What you doing? Come on, put that thing down!"

 _How can this be right? How can I be asked to give up the thing I love so dearly?_

Max sneaked forward and peered around the stalls again, covering her mouth in horror as Nathan put one hand around Chloe's neck and pressed the barrel of the gun against her chest. She collapsed back on the floor of the bathroom as she tried desperately to prepare herself for what was about to happen.

"Don't _ever_ tell me what to do, you hear me? I'm so _sick_ of people trying to control me!"

"Come on Nathan, you are going to get into hella more trouble for this than drugs…"

"Nobody would ever even miss your punk ass, would they? It's not like that other whore still hangs around with you. You've got nobody, you hear me? _Nobody!_ "

 _I'm sorry, Chloe. I'm so sorry, I can't do this._

Without really knowing what she was doing, Max picked up the hammer she knew was on the floor next to her. As Nathan began to shout, she drew her arm back and hit the fire alarm as hard as she could. The blaring fire alarm startled the occupants of the girls' bathroom. Nathan Prescott, who was shouting and had a gun pressed to the chest of the blue-haired girl in front of him, was momentarily stunned by the sudden alarm. Chloe Price, his near-victim, was able to capitalise on his confusion to knock the gun out of his hands and push him to the floor.

"Get away from me, you fucking psycho!" she yelled, scrambling out of the door. Nathan shook his head and picked himself slowly up.

"Fuck!" he cursed, retrieving his gun from beside a torn up polaroid photograph of a solitary girl standing with her back to the camera in front of a wall full of photos. "Another fucking shitty day!" he muttered, banging the door shut behind him as he left the bathroom.

Unseen to Nathan and Chloe, there was a third occupant to the bathroom. She hadn't left, despite the alarm. She was wearing a grey hoodie over a faded red top and a pair of jeans, and she was slumped in a corner, silently sobbing, head in hands. Near her was a hammer, carelessly discarded on the floor.

 _Oh God, what have I done?_

Max Caulfield was inconsolable. She couldn't move, couldn't function. All she could do was cry. She was supposed to let Chloe die, but she'd bottled it. After the week she'd just been through, after promising Chloe to rewind, to let her die in order to save the entire town from the tornado, she found she just couldn't watch her die. Max had choked at the last second and saved Chloe once more.

 _I've started everything over again! Have I doomed this town again?_

She was crying so much she didn't hear the knock at the bathroom door, nor the door opening, nor the footsteps on the tiled and polished floor.

"Damn kids…" muttered a gruff voice, rounding the corner at the end to switch off the alarm. "Always… hey!" It was the head of security, David Madsen. He quickly shut off the blaring fire alarm, and knelt down beside Max. "Uh, Miss Caulfield, are you okay?" it was immediately obvious that she was not, and the security chief helped her up and gently led her out of the bathroom, where the principal of Blackwell Academy, Ray Wells was standing. As soon as he saw Madsen helping a sobbing Max out of the bathroom he took charge. He instructed his security chief to help Max to his office, and he asked his secretary to call the school nurse.

…

Fifteen minutes later, Max had calmed down sufficiently to confirm to the school nurse that she was okay. The nurse huffed and withdrew, leaving Max alone with Principal Wells, who looked at her with some concern.

"Miss Caulfield, I'm not going to patronise you by asking if you're okay," he said, peering over his large wooden desk at Max, who was sitting in front of the desk with a tissue and a glass of water, "because you're plainly not." He paused, resting his chin on his interlocked fingers, propped up on his elbows. "So, let me get this straight. The fire alarm goes off. Mr Madsen clears out the building, then goes into the girls' bathroom to switch off the alarm. He finds you there, practically hysterical, and brings you here to me. You're not hurt, nor are you physically injured in any way. Am I right so far?"

Max nodded. "Yes sir," she sniffed, taking a sip of water.

"Good. So something has obviously really upset you. Would you please tell me what it was?"

"I'm sorry, sir, I know I should have ev… evac… left the school when the alarm went off," she said, stumbling over her words.

"Miss Caulfield… Maxine, don't worry about that. Any other day, I'd have had words with you about not evacuating on time, but I think we'll leave that go for today. You obviously had other things on your mind. Now, please tell me what's wrong."

"I don't know if you'll believe me, sir," she said, shaking her head and taking another sip of water.

"Are you going to tell me the truth?"

 _Do I tell him what happened? Last time I did this, he didn't believe me. But things are different now. He saw me crying, so he knows that something's up. Something major. I don't think I can fob him off this time around. Perhaps if he'll believe me if he sees just what this has done to me._

"Yes, sir, I'll tell you the truth," she nodded, making her decision.

"Then I'll believe you," said the principal. "Go on, Maxine."

"I'm sorry, sir," she said, "I'm just… it was a real shock to my system. I… can't believe what I actually saw was real. I mean, I've never seen anything like that before, it really scared me."

"I can see that, Maxine."

"Yeah," she sniffed. "I'd gone to the bathroom after I felt a bit dizzy in Mr Jefferson's class, just to splash my face, have a bit of a time-out, you know. Next thing I know, Nathan came into the bathroom."

"Nathan… Prescott? He came into the girls' bathroom?" Wells frowned. "Why would he go in there?"

 _I've got to keep Chloe out of this. He can't know about her._

"I don't know, sir," she said, still sniffing. "He was talking to himself, like, babbling about how he owns the school, how he could blow it up and nobody would do anything. I think he was trying to drum up courage for something, because then he pulled out a gun…"

"Whoa, he had a gun?" That got Wells' full attention. He lifted his head off his hands and looked directly at Max. "Are you sure?"

"Yes sir. He was waving it around the place, all the while talking to himself." Max was talking quickly, almost babbling, unable to return Wells' piercing gaze. "I was so scared, sir, I'm lucky he didn't see me, otherwise I believe he may have… well, I did the only thing I could do, which was to set off the fire alarm. I'm sorry, sir, I couldn't think straight, I didn't know what else to do. If he'd caught sight of me…"

" _You_ set it off?"

"Yes. It worked, because he dropped the gun, picked it up and left the bathroom. I was so relieved I started crying. That's when… that's when Mr Madsen found me, sir." She stopped speaking and began to silently cry again.

 _I've ruined everything! I've got to figure out what to do now._

Wells stayed silent for a long time, before finally speaking. "So let me get this straight. You witnessed Nathan Prescott in possession of a firearm in the girls' bathroom, and you purposely set off the fire alarms in order to escape him?" Max just nodded. "These are very serious charges, Miss Caulfield. Are there any other witnesses?" Max shook her head, and Wells' expression dropped. "Was it a real gun, Maxine?"

"Sorry sir, I… don't understand."

"Was it a real gun? Or was it a toy, or a replica?"

 _Of course it was real. He fucking shot Chloe with it!_

"Does that make a difference, sir?"

"It might," nodded Wells. "So?"

 _He doesn't believe me. Or, he does and he's trying to think of ways to cover it up!_

"I couldn't say, sir. I mean, when he dropped it, it didn't sound plastic. It definitely made a metallic clang. I'd say it was probably real."

"That makes things harder," said Wells, shaking his head again and scribbling some notes on a pad in front of him. "So it _could_ have been a replica gun. It's possible you were never in any danger, Maxine."

"I'm… I'm not making this up, sir," said Max, but Wells shook his head.

"Miss Caulfield, I don't know, I just don't know, I'm afraid." He frowned and wiped his brow with his pocket handkerchief. "You've put me in a very difficult situation. Without any corroborating evidence, there's very little I can actually do."

"Sir?"

Wells sighed. "Miss Caulfield, there are… things I need to consider before I can take any action. I won't go into details, but suffice to say that… certain political decisions will need to be considered before I contact anyone." He shook his head. "I know that you will most likely be disappointed, which is why I'm trying to be honest with you. I _am_ glad you trusted me enough to tell me this; given the person involved, it would have been far easier just to ignore it, but… you were very brave, Miss Caulfield, and obviously very shaken up by the whole affair. I'll make an appointment for you to see the nurse again tomorrow, but that's all for now."

Max nodded dumbly and stood. "I'm sorry, sir."

"For what? You told me the truth." Wells paused. "You _did_ tell me the truth, right?"

"Of course!"

"Then you have nothing to be sorry for."

As Max left the room, she heard Wells asking to see David Madsen, and she bumped into him on her way out of the secretary's office. Seeing her, he motioned her to follow him and he took her to one side.

"Miss Caulfied," he said, "are you feeling better?"

"Yes, thank you, Mr Madsen," she said. "Thank you for helping me."

"Just doing my job, miss," he said, but then dropped his voice. "I… uh, couldn't help noticing the hammer on the floor near you in the bathroom. It could look like you were responsible for setting the alarm off. I mean, I'm sure you weren't, but you know how it could look like…"

"I was," she nodded, quietly, noticing the surprise on Madsen's face. "I've already told Principal Wells that I was responsible, and the reasons why. I've no doubt he'll fill you in."

"Uh…" Madsen was a little lost for words. "Okay, that'll be all, Miss Caulfield. You take care of yourself now, okay?"

"Will do, Mr Madsen," she said, walking away from the security officer and through the door leading out of the school building into the grounds. It was a beautifully sunny day and Max couldn't help but lift her face, letting the glow of the sun bathe in its warming light. After a few moments, she automatically walked over to one of her favourite spots, the wall by the fountain, where she would sit, sometimes eat her lunch, sometimes just watch the world go by, and sometimes just chill. This time, when she sat down, hearing the familiar sound of the fountain behind her, she knew she had a lot of thinking to do.


	3. 02 Sketching out a Plan

_Ok, Caulfield. Time to take stock of your situation._

Max sat on the fountain wall, her eyes searching from left to right but completely unseeing, as she worked through recent events in her head. She thought about the events of the previous week, the events that only she knew about, since she'd rewound. Rekindling her friendship with Chloe, saving Kate, finding Rachel, saving Chloe (again), Jefferson and the Dark Room, and the tornado. Oh yes, and rewinding all the way back in order to sacrifice Chloe.

 _Yeah, and that last one worked well, didn't it? Am I fated to repeat all this again? Or do I still have the power to change things?_

Seeing Chloe get shot was the original trigger for her powers; that was the first time she'd actually rewound, back to the middle of Jefferson's lecture.

 _I guess that's one silver lining. I won't have to sit though that bloody lecture ever again, thank God. How many times so far? Four? Five? I honestly don't know any more. But if seeing Chloe get shot was the catalyst, does that mean I no longer have my powers?_

She absentmindedly pulled out her phone, checking for new messages, finding nothing.

 _Ok, so I'm here. Again. Back to the beginning of the week. In fact, I've come back to before I ever used my powers. Hmm. That may actually be a good thing. Let's see. Warren speculated that the storm could have been caused by my powers screwing around with the space-time continuum. That's why I agreed to sacrifice Chloe. God, I can't believe I would actually do that. I mean, seriously? Shit, I need to put that aside for the moment. Focus, Max. Sort yourself out. So, ok, my powers caused the storm. My powers were also triggered by Chloe getting shot. That's the first time I was able to rewind. But now I've gone back_ before _that point, so it's conceivable that my powers haven't triggered at all, isn't it? Does that mean that the storm isn't now coming? Fuck, if that's true…_

Max half stretched out her right hand, the muscle memory familiar, but quickly retracted it.

 _No! I mustn't be tempted. Whether I have the powers or not, I mustn't use them! That could be what started all this off. No, I need to get through this without using them at all. Fuck, that's going to be fun. Not exactly easy, mind you. Last, um, week, I was able to rewind if something went awry, so I won't be able to change anything that way, unless…_

Max clapped a hand to her forehead in realisation.

 _Wait a minute! Hold the phones! I'm so wrong, I_ can _change things! I don't actually need rewind powers when I know exactly what's going to happen this week, do I? I can just change them before they happen, or prevent them from happening, rather than waiting until they happen and then going back._

She smiled, then the smile turned to a frown as another thought hit her.

 _But what do I change? I mean, I can't play God here. I could stop Jefferson right here, right now. I could stop Kate from jumping, but then everything else that happened last week wouldn't. Like me making things right with Victoria, Kate and Chloe becoming friends, Brooke and Daniel, that sort of thing. And Chloe. Victoria mellowed after feeling the guilt of what she'd done to Kate. But if I stop Kate from ever going up to the roof, she'll never feel that guilt. Fuck, this is going to be uber tricky. I've got to be so careful. What was it that Uncle Ben said? With great power comes great responsibility. I may not have the power any more, but I can't shirk the responsibility. Just because I can change things, doesn't mean I_ should _change them._

She may have rewound a week, but she still knew her feelings for Chloe hadn't changed. The little smile when she thought of the blue-haired girl, she could still recall the taste of her lips, and her heart quickened at the recollection.

 _I still love her, definitely. But she doesn't love me. In fact, she doesn't even know I'm here at the moment. We'll meet later on today. Note to self. Make sure you're at the parking lot at the right time. Who knows what would happen if you didn't meet there? Talked about fucked up._

The beginnings of a plan were starting to formulate in her mind.

 _So, I'll go through the week as before. I'll try not to change too much, except to prevent the really big stuff from happening. But I'll have to do that carefully, and at the right time. Like, if I stopped Kate from jumping now, she'd never call me in the diner tomorrow and Chloe wouldn't feel guilty enough to go and see her and begin their friendship. Yes, I have to be super-careful about this. And Jefferson. Shit, I need to think about that. I can't bust him just yet. He doesn't do anything this week until Thursday evening, so I'm not making anything worse by not doing anything about it right away. I'll need Chloe's help. And of course, she'll want to find Rachel._

Max's head was beginning to hurt with everything that was swirling around.

 _Ok, so… decision made. All I have to do is get through this week. I know what's going to happen, and when, so I can prevent certain things from happening. Also, I need to ensure that other things_ do _happen. This is going to get totally complicated, isn't it? But can I tell anyone? I mean, Chloe believed me last week, but only because I was able to prove by rewinding. I can't do that now. Can I? I still know what she's going to have in her pockets, and what's going to happen in the diner tomorrow morning, don't I? But I can't push it. I can't force her to love me again._

She sighed, pushing her hand through her hair and scratching the back of her neck in frustration.

 _This is going to be way harder than last week, isn't it?_

Her phone buzzed and she automatically swiped the screen, knowing exactly who this was.

 _Warren._

 _WARREN: [Hi Max, can you get my flash drive? I need some info. And space.]_

 _MAX: [Yeah no worries dude. It's been a tough day so far. I'll grab it and bring it around.]_

 _WARREN: [No rush. Meet you in the lot in an hour. Looking cool. You'll see.]_

 _MAX: [My camera will be ready.]_

 _WARREN: [I hope so.]_

 _So, what happened last week? I think I'm going to need to make some notes, perhaps when I get to my dorm in a bit. I spoke to Stella, Brooke and Daniel out here, my talk with Kate didn't go very well, then the whole 'go fuck your selfie' with Victoria and her groupies. Man, she's going to be back to Queen Bitch, isn't she? Great. Well, I may as well start and make a few friends. Um, again, I guess._

"Nathan Prescott, please report to the principal's office. Nathan Prescott to the principal's office immediately. Thank you," announced the school tannoy system, and Max smiled.

 _At least they're taking it seriously. Thinking about it, there's something I need to go get before I head to the dorms. Be prepared, that's what they say, isn't it?_

She rose from the fountain and quickly headed back into the school, heading for the girls' bathrooms. She spent a few minutes there and then headed back outside, and over towards Stella, who was standing talking to another girl that Max didn't recognise. She was wearing her purple 'New Jersey' top and looked up as Max approached.

"Hi there," she said. "It's… Maxine, right?"

"Yeah. Although it's Max, never Maxine." Max smiled and Stella reciprocated.

"Sorry. Max, got it. You're the new girl, aren't you? We take photography together, right?"

"That's me."

"Yeah, you're really quiet in class." She grinned and folded her arms across her chest. "So what do you think of Mr Jefferson?"

 _Damn, I should have remembered she worships the sick fuck._

"Um, he's… okay, I guess."

"Okay? _Okay?_ " Stella's voice rose a few octaves and the girl she was talking to looked at her and sidled off, shaking her head at Max as she did so. "You think he's… okay?" She sighed.

"Don't you?"

"Max," she breathed, "he's more than just _okay_. Okay doesn't even come close." She began tracing patterns in the air in front of her with her hands. "He's like, oh my god! I mean, it's incredible that he came here! To Blackwell! And he's teaching us! Isn't it just like a dream come true?"

"Well, I suppose…"

"And he's so…" breathed Stella. Max rolled her eyes, but luckily this wasn't noticed, as the girl continue singing Jefferson's praises. "I mean, his New York urban stuff is great, but it's so great he came to his Oregon roots." She began to laugh. "It must piss off all those pretentious galleries that the famous Mark Jefferson is teaching photography to us Blackwell hicks. Ha!" She sighed again. "If Victoria wasn't all over him, I'd definitely make a move."

"You would?"

"Totally! I mean, you've noticed, haven't you?"

"Noticed what?"

"Oh come on, Max, you must have noticed! He's totally hot and dreamy!"

"Stella, you can't! He's way older than you, you've no idea what you might be getting into."

"Actually, I have a pretty good idea," she breathed, winking, and Max grimaced.

"Stella!" she chided, gently. "Anyway, he's so not going to mess around with a student. That's so gross!"

"That's what you think."

"What?"

"Max, you have a lot to learn about Blackwell, you know. Rachel Amber _definitely_ had sex with him."

"No, she didn't!"

"She did! Well, that's what I heard from a reliable source."

"You knew Rachel?"

"Well, not really, you know. She used to hang around with the cool students like Victoria. Not my kind of clique to be honest, but I did heard some insane stories about her." She sighed. "Pity. It's been six months without a word from her now."

"What do you think happened?"

"Everybody thinks she ran off."

"You don't?"

"Nah. I think she was…" Stella drew a finger across her throat. "She's probably buried around here somewhere."

 _You've no idea how close you are._

"Well, I hope you're wrong."

"Yeah, me too. I'll talk to you later, Max." She called after the other girl and walked over to her. "Wait up, Mel!"

Max looked around.

 _I really don't feel like messing with Brooke's attitude at the moment. There'll be time for that later on, I'll need to deal with Warren first. But Daniel. I remember he was really touched I helped him out today. So I'd better do that again._

She walked over to Daniel, who was sat, leaning back against a tree in the shade, doodling on his sketch pad. He looked up and shielded his face with his hand as she approached.

"Hi Max."

"Hey Daniel. How are you?"

He laughed lightly. "I'm good, Max, thanks. It's nice to be able to relax on such a wonderful day. You?"

"Ask me later," she laughed. "It's been what they call 'a day.'"

"Tell me about it." He looked down at his sketchpad, then back up at Max, clearly wanting to say something, but Max decided to get in first.

"Daniel, I wonder if I could ask you for a favour?"

"Sure. What do you need?

"I was wondering if you'd sketch me," she said, bending her knees coquettishly and batting her eyelids at him. She laughed at his surprised reaction.

"Wow, Max, you must be a mind-reader," he said, "I was about to ask you the same thing!"

"Really?" Max feigned surprise. "Does that mean you will? You're so talented, I'd love a sketch to hang on my wall."

"I'd love to. Um, would now be a good time for you? It's so beautiful out here, and you're so… I mean… I think that…"

"Don't get in a twist, Daniel," said Max, smiling again at the boys' obvious discomfort at giving a compliment. "I'd love to pose for you right now. Um, how do you want me?" She stood with her back to him, head turned, looking back over her left shoulder, and her left leg lifted up through 45 degrees in a classic 50s pin-up pose. "How's this?"

Daniel almost choked laughing. His laugh was so infectious that it started Max off as well, and she was unable to keep the pose for very long. "Max, that's… perhaps it would be better if you just made yourself comfortable. It'll take around ten minutes, and I can't see you holding like that for ten minutes out here!" He started laughing again as Max gratefully collapsed on the ground. She thought for a moment, trying to remember how she did it the previous time, and the lay on her side, propping herself up on her right elbow and bending her left leg.

"How's that?" she asked.

"Perfect," smiled Daniel. "Now, if you could just hold still, please."

"Do you mind if I talk while you draw?"

"Not at all, Max," said Daniel, "although I prefer sketch, if you don't mind. I'm not really drawing you, you see."

"I stand corrected," said Max, still smiling. "I've never been a muse before," she continued. "It's a… new experience for me."

"And?" he asked, the soft sound of the pencil on the sketchbook providing a wonderful distraction from the sounds of life continuing in the background. "How do you like it?"

"It's very… relaxing," confessed Max. "Although I can't see why you'd want to sketch me."

"You remind me of my favourite muse," said Daniel, sticking his tongue out of the side of his mouth as he worked on the portrait.

"Oh? Do I know her?"

"No, she disappeared before you arrived her. I think about six months ago now."

"You mean Rachel?"

At the mention of her name, Daniel stopped sketching and gazed wistfully into the distance. "Yes. Rachel was the perfect muse. She was… made for the sketchbook and the camera."

"Did you know her?"

"Me? No. Not as much as I'd like to." He looked back down at his pad and carried on. "Rachel would pose for me from time to time but she hung out in other circles. But I loved to sketch her. Especially her face and her hair. Oh, her hair was luxurious. I could spend hours getting each individual strand right. Oh my." He continued sketching in silence for a while. "You know, you look like her a bit. Same size, same build. Different hair though."

"What do you think happened to her?"

"I do not know," he said, sadness clouding his eyes. "But wherever she is, I hope that she is happy and successful. She wanted to be a model, I think. She would have made a wonderful model. She was a wonderful muse. There," he said, turning the sketchbook around. "What do you think?"

Even though Max already knew what the sketch was going to look like, she had forgotten just how good it actually was. She gasped in surprised and amazement, and couldn't help a grin filling her whole face. "Daniel, that's… amazing," she said. "Wowsers!"

"I'll be posting it up on Facebook later," he said, "I put all my sketches up there for people to see. And thank you for being my muse."

"It was an honour, Daniel," said Max, getting to her feet and stretching out. "I'll see you around." The sun was starting to think about setting, so she set off for the dorms, arriving there a few minutes later. Everything was as before: Zach and Logan were throwing the football around, Alyssa was sat reading, and Kate was sat away from everyone else. Max looked over at her friend, sitting facing away from the world, but decided not to go over to her.

 _She didn't want to talk to me then, and it didn't go well when I tried to tell her about my powers. Well, I don't have those now. I could go over and talk to her, but she'd only tell me to go away. Perhaps I need to leave her alone for the moment. I'll have plenty of time to speak to her tomorrow morning. Which just leaves…_

"Oh look," said Victoria, "it's Maxine Caulfield, the selfie ho of Blackwell." She was, as before, sat at the entrance to the dorms, surrounded by Taylor and Courtney, her… groupies, for want of a better word. They both giggled as she stood up and walked around Max. "What a lame gimmick." Her voice was so dripping with contempt that it was sickening to listen to. "Even Mar… I mean Mr Jefferson falls for your waif hipster bullshit. Just as well I had to answer the question for you. I mean, the Daguerrian Process? There's no way you'd even know that! It's not like he invented the instant camera or anything! 'Oh, did you ask me, sir? I'm sorry, I did know it but I guess I forgot.' You must have forgotten your meds as well." A quick glance to Taylor and the two girls laughed on cue as Victoria sat back down, brushing her cashmere top as if to decontaminate it from it being so close to Max. "Well, since you know all the answers, I guess you'll have to find another way into the dorm. We ain't moving. Oh wait. Hold that pose!" She took out her phone and snapped Max, standing with her arms crossed. "So original. Don't worry Max, I'll put a vintage filter on it right before I post it all over social media. Now, why don't you go fuck your selfie?" On cue, Courtney and Taylor broke out laughing again, eliciting a pleased smirk from Victoria.

 _Oh Victoria, such a shame I've got to do all that work again. You were actually turning into a nice person at the end of last week. Well, at least I know how to get you out of my way._

One tampered paint-pot handle and an over-eager sprinkler later, and Max was watching the same scene play out in front of her. Talk about deja-vu, this was too weird to contemplate.

 _I've often wondered, when playing video games, if the second playthrough is as good as the first, especially if you know the story in advance. I suppose it can be, really. You get to see things you missed first time around! Like the expression on Victoria's face!_

"No way! No fucking way!" yelled Victoria.

"You ok, Victoria?" Taylor was looking at the back of Victoria's ruined cashmere top.

"Oh, Samuel is sorry. Wet paint is not good for hair, no. Sorry…"

"Get the hell away from me, weirdo!" shouted Victoria to the caretaker.

"Hold on, hold on, we'll get some towels. We'll be right back!"

"So move your ass, before I dry!" Taylor and Courtney ran back inside and Victoria slumped sulkily back down on the step, muttering something under her breath as Max approached, fumbling in her bag. She looked up and her face fell at seeing Max.

"The fuck do you want, Maxine? I'm really not in the mood for…"

"Here, let me help you," said Max, pulling out the towel and tissues she'd collected from the bathroom earlier.

"You… wait, what?"

"I'm sorry, Victoria, that's an awesome cashmere coat. Or at least, it was." Max looked around the back of the top and grimaced. "Sorry, but that's not going to come off, I don't think." She offered the towel to Victoria and began wiping some of the paint off the back of her head.

"Maxine, what the fuck are you doing?" Victoria spun her head at the contact.

"Um… helping you, I think," answered Max. "You need to look forward, though, otherwise I won't be able to wipe this paint off." To her surprise, Victoria obediently turned her head back, allowing Max to continue wiping off the paint. "You always seem to know how to pick the right outfits. You'll be okay."

"Yeah." Victoria looked critically at the sleeve of her top. "You're right, this cashmere is finished. But there'll be another."

"I'm sorry, this isn't working very well," said Max, "I think I'm just smearing it around bit more." Victoria shifted and turned to face Max.

"Maxine, why are you doing this?"

"What do you mean? And please, Victoria, it's Max."

"This. Being… nice to me. Why?"

"Why shouldn't I?"

"Well, I've not exactly treated you well."

"So I'm supposed to treat you like shit, too?" Max stood in front of her. "I'm not like that. You see, I know there's another side to you, Victoria."

"What the fuck?"

"You're talented."

"I know. Mar… Mr Jefferson told me."

"He's right. I've seen some of your pictures. You do have a great eye, you know. Very… Richard Avedon-esque."

"He's one of my heroes," said Victoria, still gazing at Max with interest. "Thanks Max. I hope those sluts get me a towel before they hang a sign on me." She pulled out her phone and deleted the picture she took of Max earlier. "You deserve a better shot. I'm… sorry about blocking you and the 'go fuck your selfie.'"

"That _was_ mean, Victoria, but also pretty funny. It doesn't matter. Look, while we're alone, I also know what you've done to Kate." Victoria sprang to her feet, heckles rising.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Maxine," she said.

"Yeah, yeah, I know you don't," said Max, pursing her lips. "Look, I'm not judging you, because I know why you did it, but I'm asking you please, will you take the video down?"

"And why would you care so much? Are you in love with Kate or something?"

"Victoria, I know you're not as hateful as you make out, so nothing you can say will actually hurt me anymore, and I'm not going to break anyone's confidence, ever, but please, I'm begging you, please take it down."

"Give me a reason why."

Max bit her lip. "I… can't tell you, Victoria. But when you get back to your room, just do a little research. It won't take long. Find out what covering over your windows and your mirrors so you can't see yourself and no light can get in means. Please, Victoria, I've never asked you to do anything before, but this isn't for me. Just look it up and see what it means, okay?" She looked up as she could hear Taylor and Courtney laughing as they descended the stairs. "Um, I've got to go now."

Victoria looked over Max's shoulder to see her friends returning with towels. "Thanks Max," she murmured, and then raised her voice. "Go on, get lost, Lamefield. For fuck's sake, you two, where the fuck have you been? To buy new towels?" She motioned to them quickly. "Come on, give me the towel, sluts!"

Max left them to it and walked past them on her way into the dorm.

 _Ok, that was a bit different, but I hope I've sowed the seeds._


	4. 03 Secrets and Sexts

The silence in room 219 was noticeable, broken only by the faint scratching of pen on paper as Max wrote furiously in her journal. In a twist, unlike the stuff one normally writes in a diary, she was busy predicting the future. Well, to anyone else, it would seem like she was predicting the future. To her, she was simply documenting the past.

 _'More drama in the dorms. Juliet will lock Dana in her room because she thinks she was sexting Zach. I was able to rectify the situation by sneaking into Victoria's room and find the evidence on her laptop that she sexted Zach and told Juliet that Dana did it. Once that was resolved, I got the chance to talk to Dana. More drama. She was pregnant. Was. As in past tense. And it was Logan's. Needless to say, she doesn't think much of his non-support. All my friends really have their own problems. And some of them are just as significant to them as mine are to me. Sigh.'_

 _'I get the chance to save Alyssa from a flying football. Then, on the way to meet Warren in the parking lot. I'll see Kate being hassled by David Madsen. Last week, I just intervened because I thought he was being an asshole. Now I know different.'_

 _'The parking lot. Where to start? Warren will try to hug me, we'll have a conversation about his car and flash drive. He'll drop a few hints about asking me out, then Nathan will show up. Now that I've told Wells, he'll be all the madder, probably. Warren will take the hit for me, then I'll escape with Chloe. Seeing her for the first time in five years last week was a shock, for defo, almost a paralysing shock, but I know how it went. I just have to make sure we start the bonding again. Dammit, I love her and she doesn't even know I exist. Sigh. But I'll change all that. After what I've been through to get here, I'm not going to screw it up. I can't afford to.'_

 _'Last week, David hit Chloe when he showed up and shit got real, I'll have to prevent that from happening. Afterwards, we went to the lighthouse, Chloe told me about Nathan, and I told her about my rewind powers. After another tornado vision, that is. Shit, what do I do if I get another vision?'_

Max put her pen down, thinking hard. She was pretty sure she hadn't forgotten anything, at least for that day. When she came back tonight she'll fill in tomorrow and other days, when she had a little more time. She'd have to deal with Juliet and Dana soon, but before she could get up, her thoughts were interrupted by her phone ringing. She signed, knowing who was calling by the ringtone, and answered the phone.

"Hi Mom," she said, trying to inject some enthusiasm into her voice.

"Maxine, it's great you've finally figured out how to use that phone," said her mother.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, since we bought you the phone, you've never actually rung us. I was getting worried you didn't know how to turn it on or something."

"Okay, Mom, you've made your point," sighed Max. "I'm sorry I haven't rung. Things have been… busy here."

"Yes, I'd say you have been busy."

Max frowned. The conversation wasn't going the same way as last week, plus her mother's tone was almost… hostile.

 _What have I… shit, she rang last week after I wouldn't tell Wells about Nathan. What has he told them now?_

"What do you mean, Mom?"

"I've just had a message from your principal. He said you've been telling tall tales about a student? Maxine, what have we told you about telling lies? Didn't we bring you up properly, to tell the truth at all times? You'd better tell us what's going on; your principal said that this is a serious false charge. You've only been at Blackwell a month, we can't have you losing your scholarship because you got into a fight with another student, or that you told lies about him or her."

"Mom…"

"Tell me, Maxine, what happened?"

"Look, I didn't tell lies, okay? I know what you've always said about telling the truth, and I told Wells the truth."

"You didn't? Then what was…"

"The other student's father basically owns the town and puts a lot of money into the school, so Principal Wells refused to believe me, or was put under pressure _not_ to believe me. He just wants to sweep it under the carpet, so that Blackwell continues to receive its money from this guy's father."

"Max, are you telling me the…"

"Mom, I'm not lying to you, okay?" Max creased up her forehead in frustration. "He has money, okay? We don't. That's basically what it came down to."

"Honey, I'm sorry, you know we give you what we can…"

"Oh Mom, I wasn't complaining, honestly. I know you and Dad do your very best for me, and I'm so grateful to you for that. Just, please just let me deal with this, okay?"

She could hear her mother sighing. "Okay, well, at least tell me you've made some friends there."

"Yes Mom, I've made friends."

"And your plant?"

"I watered Lisa this morning, Mom."

"And you've been to see Chloe."

"I, uh…"

"Maxine Caulfield, are you telling me you haven't even contacted your best friend?"

"Mom, I…"

"Maxine?"

"No Mom, I haven't yet, but I'm planning on seeing her in the next couple of days, okay? It's been five years, I've got myself settled, and I will be contacting her."

"You sure?"

"Yes Mom, I'm sure. I want to see her. I mean, I _really_ want to see her."

 _You have no idea, Mom._

"And you're sure you're alright?"

"Yes Mom, I'm fine. Please don't worry about me. I'm fine."

"I'm your mother, Maxine. Worrying about you is my full-time job."

"Ok Mom. Look, I have to go now, one of my friends is calling me."

"Ok, honey, be good ok? And don't forget to ring. I don't know if you can hear, but your father's shouting that he loves you."

"I love you both too Mom. Thanks."

"Bye honey."

Max hung up the phone and sighed.

 _Mom, that was a bit different to how I remember it. Of course, Wells would tell her something different, because I changed something. I'll have to keep an eye on that. Chloe was right. What was the point in talking to Wells? Man, I'm so stupid!_

She rose and opened the door. She could hear some shouting coming from the corridor outside.

 _And cue Juliet._

"You can't get out now, Dana!" called Juliet. "So tell me the truth or rot in there!"

She quickly left her room, carefully closing the door behind her. Remembering, she wiped off the 'Will bang 4 Jesus' on Kate's room slate, and replaced it with a cute bunny. Thinking quickly, she wrote 'here 4 u, max' underneath, then turned to see a familiar sight. Juliet was standing with her back to Dana's door, fiddling with her phone and cursing when Zach (for that's who she was trying to contact) wouldn't answer.

 _Ok, I remember how this goes._

"Hey Juliet, is everything cool?"

"Oh, yes Max," said Juliet. "I've locked Dana in her room because we're cool. What do you think?"

"What did she do?"

"What didn't she do? You don't sext with your best friend's boyfriend, do you!"

"Ouch." Max grimaced. "How did you find out?"

 _Victoria._

"Uh, why do you even care? Why are you asking me? You never talk, just zone out with your camera."

"That's why I'm talking to you now, Juliet."

"Oh really?" What's my last name, then?"

"What?"

"What's my last name?"

"Come on, Juliet Watson, you're going to have to do a lot better than that. And Dana's your friend.

"I'm… flattered, Max. I didn't think you knew my name at all."

"Of course I do, Juliet. Just because I'm quiet, doesn't mean I don't listen."

"Max, do you have a best friend?"

"I… used to. Why?"

"Would you sext her boyfriend?"

"Of course I wouldn't! I'd never abuse a trust like that." Max thought quickly. "Do you _really_ believe that Dana did that to you, and do you really believe Dane _would_ do that to you. I observe as well as listen, Juliet. You and Dana are really good friends."

"Well, according to Victoria, Dana would do anything to date a quarterback."

"According to Victoria." Max couldn't keep the scorn out of her voice, and Juliet immediately picked up on it.

"Yes, according to Victoria. What's it to you?"

"Did you actually see the texts?"

"No, she said she'd seen them. I can't believe Dana would do that to me."

Max hesitated. "Honestly, neither can I. Do you like Victoria?"

"What sort of a question is that?"

"One I'm hoping you'll answer, Juliet. Do you like her? I mean, I know you're both in the Vortex Club…"

"Well, not particularly."

"Do you trust her?"

"No."

"And do you trust Dana?"

"I _thought_ I did."

"So you'd take Victoria's word over that of your best friend."

"Uh, well, when you put it like that…"

"You've said you don't trust Victoria, yet you're prepared to instantly believe her, rather than believe your best friend?"

"Uh…"

"Juliet?"

To her credit, the girl looked sheepish as she unlocked the door and opened it. She stepped to one side, but Dana just stood in the doorway, trying to hold back tears.

"You'd believe _Victoria_ over me?" she said, her bottom lip quivering as her sorrowful face told its own story.

"I… wasn't thinking straight."

"Damn straight you weren't! So what now?"

"Dana, I'm so sorry," said Juliet, wiping tears from her cheeks.

"You really think I'd mess around with Zachary?" Dana's voice cracked slightly, and Juliet looked ashamed and wiped her hand across her eyes.

"No," she confessed, "but you know I get stupid jealous. I, um, I owe you dinner." She looked at Dana hopefully. "Forgive me?"

"You'll do my laundry all week."

"Of course. Anything to make it up to you. Still love me?" Dana took Juliet in her arms and let her friend cry for a moment, while Max stood awkwardly aside. Eventually, Juliet composed herself and looked at Max, remembering they weren't alone.

"Thanks Max. You're like the Blackwell ninja."

"Don't thank me," said Max, "it's important to keep your friends close to you at all times. True, best friends don't come along all that often. Uh, Juliet, you may want to see Zach. Find out where those texts _really_ came from."

Juliet's face hardened. "Good thought. I'll see you later." She turned and left Dana alone with Max.

 _Ok, phase one done. Now to get Dana talking._

"You set me free," said Dana, smiling through past tears. "thanks Max." She jerked her head into her room. "Warren's flash drive is on my desk." The two girls walked into Dana's room, Dana immediately sat down on her bed with her head in her hands. Max went across to the desk to pick up the flash drive, but noticed the pregnancy test in an open box on the floor. She didn't move towards it, instead she turned back and approached Dana, who was now sat on the bed.

"Seriously, thanks again, Max," she said, looking up from the bed. "I can't believe Juliet locked me in my room. Real mature."

"She was hurting," said Max, sitting next to Dana, "and when you hurt, you lash out. Usually to those closest to you." She grimaced. "I wouldn't want to be Zach right now, though." Dana laughed.

"Yeah, I think they had Juliet in mind when they coined 'Hell hath no fury…'" She looked at Max. "Why are you so quiet, Max? You're a lovely person, but we really don't see much of you around?"

"Just shy, I guess," said Max.

"I think it's more than that."

"Not really, Dana. I… I guess I don't fit in well with the cooler kids." She smiled bashfully and Dana returned the smile.

"Don't sell yourself short, Max," she said. "You're a good person. Victoria obviously isn't. Especially when she's around her minions."

"I don't know," said Max, "I think there might be another side to Victoria. I think she's seriously insecure, to the point that she has to belittle and hurt everybody who she perceives as a threat."

"Wow, such wisdom," said Dana, giggling. "Anyway, thanks again. Um, your flash drive, I mean, Warren's drive is over there. He's… you _do_ know about… him, don't you?"

"No…"

"Oh come on, Max, are you blind? He totally has a crush on you!"

"Oh that!"

"Yes, that. Did you notice the flash drive?"

"I… I haven't really looked at it, to be honest," confessed Max.

"Well, there's a folder on there called 'Max'. Full of… well..."

Max sighed. "I know, but… it's difficult. I mean, he's nice and all, but I just don't see him that way at all. And I don't think I ever will. But I don't want to hurt him; he's a good friend and one of the few people who've actually been nice to me here."

"Yeah." To her credit, Dana look abashed. "I don't think we've really helped."

"Don't worry about it, Dana. At least you haven't been mean to me."

 _I need to turn this conversation around to pregnancy quickly, otherwise I'll miss Chloe at the parking lot!_

"Um, Dana, I'm sorry to bring this up, but I've… kinda heard some rumours about… well, about you."

"That I'm pregnant?"

"Um," Max fidgeted, "yeah, something like that."

"Shit." Dana looked at the floor, twisting her hands in frustration. "It's like a goddamned reality show around here. I told nobody, Max!"

"Yeah, that doesn't really help, does it?"

"Yeah, I know," she sighed. "Can you keep a secret?"

"Of course, Dana. I mean, who am I going to tell? Nobody listens to me."

"Well… I _was_ pregnant. Was," she said, "past tense."

"I'm sorry."

"Can I ask who…"

 _I know already, but I need to get her talking about him._

"Deadbeat Dad? Take a look on the forty yard line this Friday and you'll see him." She paused. "It wasn't Zachary, if that's what you were thinking."

"I wasn't, Dana. Swear."

"No, not Zach. Worse."

"Not… Logan?"

"However did you guess?" Dana's voice was laced with sarcasm. "Yeah. I need my head examined, right? Don't ever get drunk, Max. At least, not around guys who just have one thing on their minds." She laughed again. "Really memorable. And do I get support from him when I tell him?"

"I'm guessing probably not."

"And you'd be spot on. He offered me money. Money! What a fucking joke."

"Did you…"

"Take it? I had no other choice. There was no way I'm bringing anything into this world that's part of him. I mean look at him. Well, ok, don't look _at_ him, I mean, look at who he is. I mean, he wrote me this totally shitty letter, but it was full of bullshit. All I was to him was a trophy, a notch on his fucking bedpost that he can brag to his mates that he bedded a cheerleader."

"Dana," said Max, trying to remember what it was she'd said to the girl last week. She kneeled before the girl who was still sat on her bed and took her hands in her own. "Dana, don't ever think you're just a trophy, okay? You're so beautiful, far more than I'll ever be, but you're so much more. Smart, talented, and look at Juliet. You have a best friend who loves and worships you. Try thinking about what it is that you _do_ have, not what you don't. There'll be other guys, and other chances to start a family in the future, if that's what you want. And the chance to start it with the right guy. Just don't settle for second best, Dana. You're so much better than that."

 _There. That should do it._

"My god Max," breathed Dana, taken aback. "That's… beautiful. I'm really sorry, I think we've horribly misunderstood you."

"It's ok."

"No, it's not ok. Thank you Max, for caring. There's precious little of that going on around here at the moment, but I'm really grateful. We thought because you were quiet and shy…"

"Yeah, getting that a lot at the moment."

"Well, you've made a friend today, Max. Two."

"That's great. I'll see you later, Dana."

"Count on it."


	5. 04 The Parking Lot

Max headed downstairs and out onto the dormitory grounds. As she reached the door, she heard a cry from outside.

"Man, _fuck_ this shit!" It was followed by a loud cry.

 _Shit, no! I'm too late!_

Max rushed outside, but Alyssa was rubbing the back of her head, her book on the floor and the football nowhere to be seen. Max hurried over to her, glaring daggers at Zach, who wouldn't meet her gaze, instead he meekly sidled back inside. She turned her attention to Alyssa, tears slowly streaming down her cheeks. Max sat down next to her.

"Turn around, Alyssa, let me take a look," she said, gently turning the girl's head, hidden by a shock of purple hair. "I love your hair," she murmured, as she parted it, looking to the scalp underneath, gently massaging it the slight red mark that had been left by the football. "There. I'm sorry, it'll sting for a bit, but no damage is done. You might have a slight bruise there, but it's not visible. How does it feel?"

"Like I've been hit in the head by a football." Alyssa winced. "It's not too bad, though. I mean, it's not like it's never happened before.

"That doesn't make it right, Alyssa," said Max, shocked. "Bullying isn't something you should ever get used to."

"I know Max, but what can I do? I mean, that's the way of things here. People pick on the chubby girl." She sighed. "I thought it'd be different here, but I can't even sit here and read in peace."

"Isn't that 'Love Today or Die Forever'?" Max gestured to the book on the floor, before picking it up and handing it back to Alyssa.

"Yeah. Don't even say anything…"

"Why not? It's a best-seller. Nothing more to say about it."

"True. Look, let me show you something. It was sent earlier to me today." She passed her phone across to Max, who read the text on the screen.

 _[UNKNOWN] Alyssa Y U play hard to get when U R hard to want_

"That's what I see, Max, all the time. As I said, I'm just being realistic."

"Alyssa, okay, that text is totally mean, but that's not everyone. Whoever sent it didn't even have the common decency to own up to it."

"I know, Max, but I get so many of them, you know?"

"I'm sorry Alyssa, I know it's hard but I also know you have the strength to get through it, yeah? I know you do, Alyssa. Don't change to suit people like that. One day, you'll find someone who wants and loves you for who you are. I know you will. Just be strong, Alyssa, okay?"

"Thanks Max, it's good to know at least someone believes in me."

"I know I'm not the only one, Alyssa." Max looked at her watch. "I'm sorry, I'd love to stay and chat to you, but I'm actually late for an appointment. You'll be okay? I mean, I'm not bailing on you, honest."

"I don't believe you'd be capable of anything like that anyway, Max," said Alyssa. "Go on, I appreciate this. We'll hang out more."

Max left Alyssa and headed off, savouring the warm October sunshine. There was definitely something about the month of October that held a special fascination for her. Perhaps it was the way the leaves turned from green to a myriad of fantastic colours, full of glowing ambers, oranges, yellows and browns. Perhaps it was the warming sunshine that, stripped of its blazing summer rays, comforted and warmed like a familiar blanket wrapped around one's shoulders. Perhaps it was the nights drawing in, the sun creating an amber, then brilliant red glow as it sunk below the horizon.

"… so don't think I'm blind, young lady! I see everything here at Blackwell!"

 _Mr Madsen!_

Quickly, Max hurried to the courtyard gates and revealed herself without hiding.

"Do you understand what I'm saying?" The scene was a familiar one. Madsen was advancing on Kate, jabbing at her shoulder, while the poor girl backpedalled.

"Mr Madsen!" called Max, marching into the covered area, "can I have a word with you, please?"

Stopped in his tracks, Madsen turned and saw Max approaching at a rate of knots. He glared at Kate, but went no further. "Miss Caulfield," he acknowledged.

"Kate," said Max, taking her hand and giving it a quick squeeze, "are you okay to get back to your dorm?" She looked at her friend, hoping that her gaze would be interpreted as a 'please leave now' gaze.

"I… I think so," said the Christian girl, her eyes wide. "Max?"

"It's okay, Kate, go. I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

"Um… okay Max." She scarpered, and Madsen turned on Max.

"Miss Caulfield, would you mind explaining yourself?"

Max stood up to David. He was much taller than her, but she wasn't intimidated. "Mr Madsen, I know you think you're doing the right thing, but Kate isn't the problem here. She isn't part of the Vortex Club, she doesn't do drugs, and I know she's going through a _really_ bad time at the moment and she needs our support. Okay?"

"You seem very well informed," said Madsen, frowning. "Have you been going through my files?" He seemed to realise what he was saying too late, and shut his mouth. "I'm sorry, I mean, how could you?"

"Mr Madsen, I just know what I know. Please. I know you're a good person, deep inside, okay? I also know you're on the right track. I know that Principal Wells didn't, or couldn't believe what I told him earlier on, but I _was_ telling the truth. Kate isn't involved in drugs, but Nathan Prescott is. He drugged her at that party on Friday. He's who you want to be looking at, Mr Madsen." Max said everything very quickly, and Madsen looked at her, confused.

"I… but… how could you… I mean…"

"It's okay, Mr Madsen. May I go now?" Max smiled sweetly and the security chief dumbly nodded. She left him standing there and headed out to the parking lot, smiling to herself.

 _Hopefully when I see him later we'll be able to get off on the right foot. Which reminds me…_

The walk across the main school grounds wasn't a long one, and soon Max found herself in the parking lot. It wasn't a large lot, perhaps room for about twenty vehicles. The students weren't exactly encouraged to bring their own cars, but there were a few empty spaces at this time of day. She smiled at one battered old truck, parked horizontally across both disabled spaces.

 _Oh Chloe, nice parking as always. I was so annoyed when I saw this last week, but now… and there's Frank's RV over there. I never did find out why he was here. Wouldn't have thought he'd want to… unless he's here seeing Nathan. Nathan did like his shit delivered sometimes, didn't he? And after what happened earlier, he might… wait, was he high when he came to the parking lot last week? I guess that would explain a few things._

"Max!"

 _Oh yes, Juliet was here, wasn't she?_

"Hi Juliet," said Max, walking over to the blonde journalist, who was sat on the wall by a couple of empty spaces. She could see Warren waiting by his cronky old blue car, but she remembered that Juliet was feeling down.

 _Sometimes, I wonder if all I did last week was to provide the 'Max motivational service'. Still, if it gets me some good friends, I can't complain, can I?_

"How are you doing?" Max sat on the wall next to Juliet, who was hunched forward, looking down at her hands and her phone.

"Sorry, I'm still a bit screwed up. But thanks. At least I now know the truth."

"Zach? He didn't seem happy when I saw him just now."

"Yeah. Mr Badass-Football-Hero is such a chickenshit. He said he sexted Victoria as a joke. Ha ha. I'm so laughing right now." Her eyes were filling up again. "Look at me, I'm a mess. What am I gonna do, Max?"

 _Now, last week I told her a few home truths I think. Can't remember exactly what, though._

"Honestly, what do you _want_ to do, Juliet? Do you care _that_ much about him? Because sorry, but I'm not sure what you see in him, if I'm honest."

"You usually are, Max," smiled Juliet through her sorrow. "And, forgive me, but I'm not sure you understand. I don't mean that to be bitchy, but it's about appearances in the Vortex Club. And Zach, well, dating the quarterback is a catch."

"Really? Zach is a catch?" Max spluttered. "I mean, look at you, Juliet. Any boy who doesn't give you his full attention or would rather be sexting someone else is either blind or stupid. You are _totally_ too good for someone like that."

"But…"

"Juliet, look at it the other way around. _You_ are beautiful. _You_ are a catch. If boys don't want to be around you then they are not worth your attention. Plus, look at Dana. You have a best friend there who loves you for who you are. She doesn't constantly try and get in your pants, or care how you look on her arm, or how cool you make her feel. She is _your_ friend. Now, forgive me, Juliet, but to me, that is _far_ more important than what Victoria thinks. Because," said Max, remembering how she finished last week, "this is what this is _really_ about, isn't it? Victoria, Queen Bee of the Vortex Club, and how she perceives you. Well, let me let you into a secret," said Max, leaning close and dropping her voice to a conspiratorial whisper, "you are too cool for the Vortex Club."

Juliet looked up again at Max, wide-eyed. "Wow Max, that was some next-level shit there. That was… I'm sorry Max. I may have underestimated you. And you're right, of course," she continued, "I was far too wrapped up in, well, Zach. That's twice today, Max. I won't forget it." She smiled and nodded towards Warren, still standing by his car but looking pointedly in Max's direction. "I think Warren wants your attention."

"Yeah, he usually does. Hang in there Juliet. And remember, you don't have to go through this alone. Did you see Dana?"

"No, not yet, but I'll go and see her now. Thanks Max, I could have lost my best friend today through my own stupidity. I'll see you around." She rose and walked off towards the dorms, leaving Max to approach Warren.

 _I'm sorry, Warren, I know you want a hug, but I can't. It would just feel like I'm betraying Chloe. Ha! Betraying someone who doesn't love me, doesn't even know I exist. But it still feels wrong._

"Yo MAX! What up?" As Max approached, and as she expected, Warren's face grew into a huge grin and he opened his arms wide for a hug. When Max didn't respond, instead simply holding out the flash drive, a flash of disappointment crossed his face for an instant, but was quickly replaced with a forced smile. Max remembered that expression from last week, but this time she was watching for it. "Check out my new wheels."

Max looked (again) at the car. If anything it looked older than it did the previous week. The car itself was mostly blue, although faded and scratched in many places, the passenger door itself was a different shade of grey-blue with a marked bump below the handle, as if someone had opened their door at a parking lot straight into Warren's door, and the bonnet was slightly darker than the rest of the car. But Warren was happy, that much was obvious. He was perched on the bonnet, grinning like the proverbial Cheshire cat. The refused hug was in the past, the car (and, as Max knew, an offer of a ride) was in the future.

 _Play nice, Max._

"Nice car, Warren. Very old school. With emphasis on the 'very'."

"Yeah yeah, ok Max, so show me _your_ car then."

"Touché," laughed Max. "So, tell me more, bwana. I want details."

"Nineteen seventy-eight, to be exact," said Warren. "I won't bore you with tech specs you won't understand, but let's call it totally retro."

"Retro of course being your middle name. And totally apropos today."

"Ouch. I can do modern too, I just choose not to."

"Intermediate licence then, yeah?"

"Yeah, until I'm eighteen. And it means I can't pull any all-nighters, so I'll have to have you home by eleven, Miss Max."

"Miss Max? Warren, are you on something?"

"Only life, Max, only life," he said, smiling. "So I thought we could take a cruise, I mean, school's out for the day, I looked and there's a drive-in just sixty miles away in Newberg, we just cruise down there tonight and be back in plenty of time." He glanced at Max. "Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm… good, Warren."

"Cool. So, when should we leave?"

 _Man, how do I deal with this?_

"Um, Warren, I'm not sure that…"

"It'll be fine, Max" he said, not really listening to her. "I mean, it'll be fun. We can leave now, we'll get there in about an hour or so, and…"

"Warren…"

"… we'll be in plenty of time to catch a movie, get some munchies and then…"

"Warren, please…"

"… come back in plenty of time for…"

" _Warren!_ " Max hadn't meant to shout, but Warren just wasn't listening to her. It had the required effect, though, and he stopped talking. "Warren, please, I don't want to go out with you, okay? You need to get the message. You're a _really_ nice guy and you're a good friend but that's all you are and that's all you'll ever be to me. Please, you really need to stop asking me out, okay?" She hadn't meant it to sound quite that harsh, but there was no rewinding this time. However, Warren was taken aback.

"Um, okay, there's no need to be like that, Max," he said, a hurt expression replacing his earlier smile and Max immediately knew she'd crossed the line.

 _Shit, Warren, I didn't mean to hurt you._

"Warren, I'm sorry, I…"

"You don't need to say anything more, Max," he said, holding his hand up. "You've made your point." He struggled to neutralise his expression, and stood up. "I'll be going now. Consider my offer revoked," he said, his voice cracking as he walked away without looking back.

"Warren, don't be like that, okay?" called Max, but he ignored her and walked out of the parking lot, leaving Max alone. She stood alone for a moment, before she realised what being alone actually meant. She looked around wildly for Chloe, but she was totally alone in the parking lot.

 _Christ, Max. Not good. Not fucking good at all. Chloe, now would be a fantastic time to show up._

She began walking quickly out of the parking lot, but she didn't get far, as striding quickly towards her was Nathan Prescott. He reached her in the middle of the parking lot and she stopped. She tried to sidestep around him but he was having none of it.

"Maxine Caulfield?" His voice was high-pitched and sounded unstable, much like when she heard him in the bathroom. "One of Jefferson's groupies, yeah?"

"I'm in his photography class, yes," she said, looking around. "What's it to you?" Her heart was thumping a war dance in her chest as she looked around for help.

 _Where was Chloe?_

"Nobody around, is there?" he said, moving closer to her.

"I'm sorry," said Max. "It's… Nathan, right?" She backed away, but Nathan continued forward, far too close to her for comfort. Her breathing quickened as he jabbed her in the shoulder.

"Don't try and be clever. I know you're new here, but you know who I am, right?"

"I'm not new. I've lived here for years."

"Right. Then you know we own this shithole, yeah? We own this school; we own this whole fucking town! You'd best remember that, Maxine."

"Max, never Maxine," she muttered, automatically.

"Yeah, well, Maxine," he said, leaning in so his breath washed over Max. She tried not to gag at the smell of stale smoke and who knew what else as he smiled. "I know you were in the bathroom today! I know what you think you saw! I also know you blabbed to the fucking principal. Bad fucking move, Maxine, bad fucking move," he said, shaking his head.

"And? I only told him the truth. You had a gun, Nathan. You scared me."

"Yeah. I still have it. Want to see?" He reached around behind his back and Max felt her breathing stop as if it was cut off. Her blood ran ice-cold in her chest and she struggled to control her emotions.

"Please, no, Nathan." Max was beginning to panic now. "I really don't like guns." She backed off more, but Nathan just stepped forward.

"Oh really? Perhaps you should have thought about that before you blabbed. Do you know what he did? He called me into the office." Nathan's voice was rising again, a small bubble of spittle was forming on his lips. "I was with my friends and he called me into the office. Do you know how that made me look?" He laughed. "Of course, he couldn't do anything about it, so he just pretended like I wasn't there. He actually rang my father while I was there. Dumb shit!"

"I'm… I'm sorry, Nathan," said Max, looking wildly around, but she and Nathan were still the only two in the parking lot.

 _Chloe, please, I could really use your help right about now._

She knew that Nathan had hit Warren when he'd tried to intervene, so if she could just keep him talking and not enrage him further, she might yet come out of this situation without getting hurt.

 _Yeah, right._

"Yeah, no friends, Caulfield," he sneered. "All alone, with the rich kid." He pushed her shoulder and she stumbled back a couple of steps, but he stepped forward and pushed her again. This time she bumped into a car, probably Warren's but she couldn't tell. She stepped to one side and tried to create an escape route, but Nathan blocked it off quickly. "Nobody tells me what to do," he screamed. "Not my parents, not the principal, not that whore in the bathroom and certainly not the fucking stupid bitch in front of me right now. Nobody! _Nobody!_ " His voice rose to a scream and he slapped Max across the face. Her hand flew to her cheek as the sting of the slap began to burn and tears formed in her eyes. He moved to backhand her across the other cheek but she managed to snap her head backwards just in time and his hand whistled past her nose. Unfortunately, this put her off balance and only enraged him further. He pushed her hard and she fell backwards, her arms windmilling uselessly as she hit the concrete of the parking lot hard, her head snapping back with a heavy crack on the ground. She screamed in pain and he stepped forward, but stopped at the sound of a truck horn blasting through the air.

"Get away from her!" yelled a familiar voice and Max felt herself being lifted up off the ground. Her hand flew to the back of her head, which was still ringing from the impact on the ground, and she vaguely felt herself being placed on a soft seat. She heard the truck's engine being gunned, Nathan shouting something and banging the door by her head, then she felt the truck accelerate violently as they escaped the scene.

 _Chloe, you saved me_ , she thought as the world faded to black.

 _My hero._


	6. 05 Reunion

"Max?"

The world faded in, growing suddenly brighter as Max slowly opened her eyes. Her head was pounding and a splitting pain shot through her neck as she tried to sit up, causing her to groan and wince, which just hurt more.

"Ssh," said a soothing voice, while a gentle hand pressed her head back down, "don't try to move. You're safe here."

"Chloe?" whispered Max, weakly, sinking back down.

"You're awake, good." Max's blurry vision was suddenly filled with blue, as Chloe bent over her. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been hit by a train," she mumbled. "My head hurts." She opened her eyes again and realised that she was in Chloe's bedroom, laid out on her bed. Next to her, Chloe sat, leaning over her, gently stroking her forehead. It wasn't an entirely unpleasant sensation, ruined only by the splitting pain in her neck and head.

"I'm not surprised," said Chloe, gently, "you took a nasty knock back there. Ssh, lay still," she whispered, "you'll be okay in a bit. Here," she said, handing Max a pair of painkillers, "take these." Max obediently opened her mouth and Chloe held a glass of water to her lips. "I'm just going for a shower, okay? Stay here."

"Yeah, like I'm gonna go anywhere." Max smiled weakly, but Chloe didn't reciprocate.

"Well, there's a first for everything," she said, shutting the door behind her. She didn't see the slow tears begin to form in Max's eyes.

…

When Chloe returned twenty minutes later, Max was sitting up on her bed, her pillow propped up behind her. She looked up as Chloe opened the door and entered, and smiled.

"Better?" asked Chloe, and Max nodded gingerly. There was still some pain, but the painkillers certainly did their job. She wondered where exactly Chloe had got them from; they didn't seem the usual over-the-counter type. In fact, if she was being honest, she'd say she was feeling a little light-headed. But, they worked. She wasn't complaining.

"Yeah. Still hurts though," she said. "Did I… I mean, was there any blood?"

"A little," nodded Chloe, "you cracked your head pretty hard, but I cleaned it up for you." She grinned suddenly. "It's tough to clean the back of your head yourself." After a short pause, she continued. "I know."

"Thanks." Max looked down at her hands, and wouldn't meet Chloe's gaze.

"Well," said Chloe, sitting down on the chair by her desk, facing Max, "you could at least pretend you're glad to see me."

Max looked up. "Chloe, you have _no_ idea how glad I am to see you," she said, rubbing the back of her neck. "Those painkillers were… quite strong. But effective." She groaned as she tried to move her legs over the side of the bed, but Chloe stopped her.

"Dude, don't move. Not yet, okay?"

"Chloe, thanks for saving me. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't…"

"Yeah. What did that freak want with you?"

"Nathan? He's unstable as shit. He didn't actually talk a great deal, only to scream about me being a bitch, and a whore, and other rather unpleasant things. Then he… well, you saw, right?"

"Yeah. Damn, you were quick, though. You avoided that backslap like a ninja!"

"Yeah, not quick enough. It just put me off-balance, and…"

"Yeah, you hit the ground pretty hard, Max. Here," she laid a cool, wet towel on Max's forehead, "dunno if it'll help."

"Thanks, Chloe," said Max, meaning every word.

 _I can't push this too quickly. Chloe needs to start this conversation on her own terms._

Chloe looked at her friend for a few minutes before speaking again. "So, you're back," she said. Her voice wasn't unkind, but it certainly wasn't as gentle and friendly as it was a few moments before. "You came back to Arcadia. I guess Seattle wasn't all it was cracked up to be huh?"

"It was cool, I guess, but… to be honest I felt kinda lonely, like, a bit out of my depth, you know?"

"Interesting choice of words, Max," said Chloe. "You weren't the only lonely one, you know."

 _She's got to this part a lot quicker this time._

"Chloe…"

"Save it, Max, I don't want no fake shit apologies or anything like that. Admit it, you came back for Blackwell."

"I did, Chloe. I came back to go to one of the best photography courses in the country." She paused. "But that's not the only reason I came back."

"Bullshit, Max, don't even say you came back for your best friend, because I know you didn't."

"Don't you think I'm happy to see you?" There were tears forming in Max's eyes, but she made no effort to wipe them away. Chloe needed to see how much she hurt.

"Not really. You were happy enough to wait five years without a call, a text, not even a fucking email, Max. Do you know how many nights I cried myself to sleep? How many days I waited by my fucking phone to hear something, _anything_ from you?"

"I know things were tough on you, Chloe." Max felt her emotions start to get the better of her. "I didn't order my parents to move specifically to fuck you over."

"I know that, Max. But my father had died, you'd gone. You promised to stay in touch, Max and… you broke that promise. You abandoned me," said Chloe, her own voice breaking. "And you've been at Blackwell now, a month already? Have you made any attempt at contacting me? No! Do you know how I know you were back? My mother told me she'd seen you in town. Joyce! I had to find out you coming back from my mother! Do you have any idea how that makes me feel, Max? My best friend not only fucked off and left me, but when she came back she didn't even bother to tell me? That speaks far louder than any words, Max, believe me."

"I… wanted to settle in first and not be such a shy cliché geek. I was totally going to contact you."

"I bet you don't use these sad excuses on your teacher. Don't waste them on me, Max Caulfield."

The two girls fell silent as Max struggled to get her emotions under control. After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, Max felt well enough to struggle to her feet. To her credit, Chloe helped her up, and she sat on Chloe's chair. Chloe then lay on her bed and stared at the ceiling.

"Uh, Chloe?"

"What?"

"Did you see my camera?" Max couldn't see it anywhere. Had she left it in the parking lot?

"Uh, yeah," said Chloe awkwardly. "I brought it in. It's downstairs on the table. It's… I think it hit the floor when you fell, Max."

"It's broken?"

"I think so."

"Ah man, are you cereal?"

Chloe chuckled. "Wow, I haven't heard that one in a while." She was silent for a while.

"Not everything changes, Chloe," said Max, and the double meaning wasn't lost on her friend. "But it sounds like my camera has officially taken a shit."

"Step-douche has a boatload of tools in his garage, Max. Maybe you can fix it?"

"Possibly," said Max. "But I need very specific tiny tools."

"Perfect," laughed Chloe. "My step-dad has a fully stocked garage. And he actually _is_ a very specific tiny tool." She stared at the ceiling a while longer. "Put some music on if you want, Max," she said.

"Time to chill?"

"Yeah. I mean, we can't exactly totally chill, Max. My step-führer makes sure of that, but he's not around at the moment. "I need to medicate."

Max rose unsteadily and began to look around the room. The stabbing pain in her neck had gone, replaced by a dull ache now and she tested moving her neck side-to-side, with a moderate degree of success. She knew exactly where to look and made a show of looking around for a CD until she finally looked in the box on the floor, seeing again that familiar photo she'd seen on the missing persons posters.

"Rachel?"

"What?" Chloe sat up and took the photo from Max. "Give me that."

"Sorry," said Max, "I wasn't trying to be nosey. I recognised the photo, that's all. Friend of yours?"

"You could say that. Look, you can find the tools you need in the garage, ok? I just want to blaze and be alone for a moment, if you don't mind."

Max left the room just as Chloe lit up and headed downstairs. Once again, she was hit by waves of nostalgia as she saw the photo board by the door. This time, she knew exactly where she was going and didn't want to waste any time, so she slipped into the garage through the door at the bottom of the stairs, closing it quickly behind her. She knew that Madsen would be arriving home at some point, and she needed to have a conversation with Chloe before that happened. She didn't need to find the CCTV monitor hidden in the cupboard, nor did she need to see the files and photos he had taken of Kate. She remembered them, and she remembered exactly how she'd retrieved the box of precision tools above the washing machine (slide the cardboard under the workbench, turn the washing machine, catch the box on the cardboard, turn the machine off, and slide the cardboard back out). She quickly headed back upstairs and found Chloe laid on the bed, quietly smoking her joint.

"Hi Chloe," she said, sitting down at the desk and pretending to try her best to fix the camera, even though she knew it was broken beyond repair.

"Ah, you're back," said Chloe. She raised her head lazily. "Put the music on now, would you?" Max switched on the CD player and inserted the CD she'd found underneath Rachel's photo earlier. "Santa Monica Dream? Nice choice." She sat up. "Come here Max." She patted the bed again. "It's like you're afraid of me or something. Come on, I won't bite." She grinned wickedly. "Hard." Max giggled and sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for her friend to start talking. It didn't take too long. "Rachel Amber, yeah, you could say I knew her," said Chloe, exhaling slowly. "She was my angel. After my dad died and you left me, I felt, well, abandoned. Rachel saved my life."

"Man, I had no idea."

"Well, yeah, you didn't exactly go out of your way to find out. I was fourteen, Max. We were supposed to be best friends. Forever, if my memory is correct."

Max felt tears slide down her cheeks, but she let the comment slide. "I'm glad she was there for you, Chloe," she murmured.

"She had my back. We were gonna kick the world's ass." Chloe's face lit up at the thought. "You'd laugh at how different we were. She wanted to be a star."

"She looks beautiful." Max remembered the photo, how could she forget it? It was all around the school. It was, however, a beautiful photo. The shot in school showed Rachel's beautiful face and hair, but the full photograph, now in Chloe's hands, showed the two friends together, and the smile on Rachel's face told another story entirely that you didn't' get when just seeing the missing persons poster.

"She wanted to be a model. That was her plan. Actually, _our_ plan. Get the hell outta Bigfootville and off to Los Angeles."

"Sounds great. What happened?"

Chloe shrugged. "She vanished."

"What happened?" asked Max, trying to keep Chloe talking. She bit her lip. She only had the one chance to get this right. "I mean, I know she disappeared, I saw the posters."

"Six months ago. April. She just…upped and left Arcadia. Without a word. Without… without me, Max. She left me." The crack in Chloe's voice broke Max's heart. She could feel tears forming, but this time she had no energy to stop them.

"How do you know she disappeared? I mean, maybe she just wanted to start a new life, you know, like she'd planned."

"Unlike you, Max, she would have told me, okay? I know something happened to her. We were going to leave together. She wouldn't have left without me."

"I believe you, Chloe," said Max, beginning to well up.

"Just before she left… disappeared… vanished… whatever, just before, she said she'd met somebody who changed her life. Wasn't me, I know that much, however much I… however I thought about it. Then, poof. There she was. Gone."

"Do you know what she meant?"

"Nope. Thought about it a lot, but no idea, Max. I mean, I thought I'd changed her life, you know. She was _my_ angel. I'd kind of assumed I was hers, too."

"And she hasn't contacted you?"

"Nope. Just like everyone in my life. My dad, Rachel. You." Chloe stood up and walked to the window, her back to Max. "Abandoned again. Just like everyone else did." Max's careful plan went out the window as the emotion and hurt in Chloe's voice simply overwhelmed her, and she collapsed, sobbing on the bed, curled up in a ball.

"Max?" Chloe's voice changed and was instantly full of concern. She reached out a comforting hand to Max, but all it resulted in was her friend curling up tighter. "Max, I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"

"Yes, you did!" screamed Max, in between broken, ragged breaths. "You meant every word of it. Don't lie to me, Chloe. You hate me!"

"Max, please… I didn't… Max, please… I don't hate you," said Chloe, reaching out again. "I thought I did for the longest time." She brushed some hair away from Max's ear. "You're all I have now. I'm glad you're back," she murmured.

"I'm sorry, Chloe, I'm, _god, I'm so sorry!_ " Max uncurled and forced herself to look at Chloe. Her eyes were red and streaming, and she was rocking back and forth, her arms wrapped around her chest. "Chloe, I never wanted to leave you, never! I wanted to stay here, with you. I begged and begged mom and dad to let me stay with you and Joyce. I tried everything I could think of, but I was thirteen! They just wouldn't let me."

Chloe began to well up as well, and she quickly climbed on to the bed next to Max and took the younger girl into her arms. She rocked her back and forth and felt Max's arms unwrap from her chest and curl around Chloe's waist. "I get you had to move," she murmured, ", and I don't blame you for that. But you never contacted me." There was softness in her voice now rather than accusation.

"I know, and I fucked up, Chloe. I fucked up so much. I wanted to. I started so many emails to you that were never sent, I picked up the phone and began to dial your number as well, but I could never actually hit the button."

"But why?" whispered Chloe. "I needed you."

"I know, and I felt like shit. I missed you so much, Chloe. The first few weeks I was in Seattle I couldn't sleep. I cried and cried and cried all night for weeks, I just couldn't stand to be away from you. I didn't know how to deal with it, it felt like a part of me had been ripped away and left behind." Max started crying again. "I really meant to get in contact, but I had no idea what to say. I mean, William had just died, I'd left you, and I had no idea how to deal with that, let alone what to actually say to you. I desperately wanted to be there with you, to comfort you, but I was hours away in Seattle! Chloe, I'm so sorry, I never meant to hurt you."

"But you did," said Chloe, her voice a hoarse whisper.

"I know, and that just made it worse. Eventually things settled down, and I still didn't get in contact. I mean, what could I say? Hi Chloe, things are good here without you? And it just got to the stage where I convinced myself that you wouldn't want to know me anymore, especially after what I'd done to you. I was totally terrified I'd lost you. I'd broken my promise, I thought you'd hate me for staying silent. I… I guess I preferred not to know for certain. And then, when I came back here a month ago, I had absolutely no idea what to do." She began quietly sobbing again. "Chloe, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. Please tell me you don't hate me, I couldn't take that. But I know it's all I deserve."

"Hey Max," soothed Chloe, holding her friend tightly, quite taken aback at Max's comments. She certainly wasn't expecting a heartfelt apology. "Ssh," she said, stroking Max's hair gently, "it's ok. I… I don't hate you, I could never hate you, Max. I never hated you." She lightly kissed Max's hair, and Max looked up at her friend, her eyes red and brimming with tears.

"Chloe, I fucked up. I fucked up our friendship. You were… are, the best friend I've ever had." She tightened her arms around Chloe and snuggled into her.

"Yeah, you fucked up, kiddo," said Chloe, kindly, "but you came back. That's gotta count for something, right?"

"You're… you're not mad at me?"

"Hell yeah, of course I'm mad at you," said Chloe, but grinning at the same time. "You've got plenty of work to do to earn this off, Max. But if you think I'm worth the effort, then, perhaps we can pick up where we left off? After all, we are best friends forever. You may have forgotten it, but I never did."

"I never forgot you, Chloe. Never. I _am_ sorry. Best friends forever."

"And another thing, it's gonna get hella tiresome if you keep apologising. So don't, ok? It's the past, you've apologised, I accepted it, now let's work on the future. K?"

"You accept my apology?"

"I did say that, didn't I? Now look, it's my turn."

"Chloe…"

"I listened to you, Max. Don't you think it's only fair you listen to me? Seeing as we're sharing and shit?"

Max giggled. "Dork."

"I knew you were back in town."

"You did?"

"I knew because last week Joyce told me she'd seen you around."

"How is she? I haven't been to the diner, I couldn't…"

"She's fine, Max. In fact she told me today to stop being a wuss and go and see you. See, you weren't the only one who was terrified." Max's eyes widened in realisation. "I was mad at you all week. At least, I thought I was. Mom made me see that actually I was mad at myself, and that I was actually scared you'd forgotten me."

"Never, Chloe."

"Like you, I didn't want to think it was over. So I guess I preferred not to know. But Mom bet me that you were feeling just as scared as me. And fuck me if she wasn't right. Do you know where I was this afternoon?"

 _Yeah, she came to my dorm, but I wasn't there, was I?_

"Where?"

"Outside your dorm. I stood outside for ages, wondering if I should knock. In the end, I wussed out and ran back to the truck. That's when I caught your antics with Prescott."

"You came to see me?"

"Max, don't you get it? You fucked up, but so did I. The number of times I nearly picked up the phone in the last five years. I nearly wrote you letters. Fuck, twice I jumped in the truck and was half an hour down the road to Seattle before I turned back. I think it's only fair to my first mate that I take some of the blame. Not all of it, mind," she clarified quickly, to another giggle from Max, "not even half. You're taking the lion's share, First Mate Max, but you're not hogging all the blame, you understand me?"

"Yes, Captain."

"Now that's more like it. Now come on, don't you have a camera to fix?"

"I… I can't fix this, Chloe. It's… gone. My camera is…"

"Whoa girl, wait a second there. We'll figure something out." She looked at Max's camera bag. "Are these your new photos?"

"Yeah. I took them today."

"Let me see." The taller girl sifted through the photos slowly, savouring her friend's talent. "Damn, these are good. You've improved, Max." Several times she commented on a certain aspect, and praised Max for her keen eye. Then she looked at the final photograph, the one of the blue butterfly on the bucket in the bathroom. "Wait a minute, I've seen this butterfly before." She frowned while Max looked at her, until finally she smacked her forehead. "No way," she whispered, realisation dawning, "no fucking way! When did you take this Max?"

"Uh…"

"You took this photo in the bathroom today, didn't you? It was _you_ that set off the alarm!" She clapped her hand over her mouth as the full weight of what had happened set in. " _That's_ why Nathan was raging at you. It totally makes sense now. You… you hella saved my life." She looked at her friend in awe. "Tell me." Max hesitated, but nodded.

"I was there. Hiding in the corner like a scared lamb."

"Damn girl, you're a ninja."

"Not really. A ninja would have cut Nathan's head off. I just took a butterfly photo."

"Don't downplay this, Max. You didn't 'just' anything. You fucking saved me. This is so badass!"

"Oh yeah, and I almost wet myself when I saw the gun. I… don't like guns, Chloe. And when Nathan pulled it out, well, I nearly fucking had a heart attack!"

Chloe looked at Max with a new intensity. "Did… did you recognise me?"

"Sort of. You were very different, but you were still Chloe."

"Yeah, I look a bit different now, don't I?"

"You do, but I love your hair. It just screams Chloe. You're…" Max had to bite her lip, but Chloe didn't notice.

"You heard our conversation." Max nodded. "Did you tell anyone?"

"I… I had to, Chloe. I was hysterical. The security chief found me crying in the bathroom and took me to the principal. He knew something was up, so I told him the truth. I didn't mention you, though, I just said I'd seen Nathan Prescott waving a gun around."

"You told Wells?" scoffed Chloe. "And how did that turn out?"

"Not good. He did nothing."

"Yeah, he's good at doing nothing. That drunk jackass only cares about cash for Blackwell. Don't ever trust him, Max. So that's why Nathan was after you in the parking lot today."

"Uh huh," nodded Max, putting her hand to the back of her head again. The pain had gone now, but there was definitely a sore spot there.

"Talk to me, Max."

"About what?"

"'About what', she says," laughed Chloe. "You were there, man. You saved me. How do you feel about that?"

"Chloe, come on, you're making me out to be something I'm not. I was just lucky I was in the right place, I guess. I mean, I thought you looked familiar, but I didn't get a good look, and seeing that gun scared the fuck out of me. I mean, I'm happy I did what I did, but I don't think I did anything special."

Chloe moved behind Max and slid her arms around her friend's waist, holding her close. "It was hella special to me, Max," she whispered, her lips almost touching Max's right ear, causing her to shiver involuntarily. "I'll never forget it." They stood like that, Chloe's head resting on Max's right shoulder, for a minute or so, before Chloe let Max go and wandered over to one of the shelves.

"Look," she said, slowly, "I know that you were eighteen two weeks ago, and I know, obviously, I missed it."

"I missed yours too, last March," said Max, unsure of where this conversation was going, "So that makes us even, I guess."

"Not at all, Max," said Chloe, "because now I'm here to help you celebrate yours. So close your eyes, and hold out your hands."

"Chloe, come on…"

"I'm serious. I have something for you." Obediently, Max closed her eyes and held out her hands, waiting for Chloe to place her father's camera there. She felt a weight on her hands, but waited for permission to open her eyes. Things were going well; she didn't want to ruin anything now. "Okay, you can open then now." Max did so and looked down at the camera. "I want you to have this, Max."

"What? No, I couldn't. I mean, it's sweet you remembered my birthday, but I couldn't take this, Chloe. It was William's."

"Please, Max, I know Dad would have been seriously pissed off if I never used it. And I can't take photos for shit. You can. Now I know it will be used awesomely, and in memory of him."

"Chloe, I'd be honoured. I loved William like a father too." Max suddenly giggled. "Although _awesomely_? Is that even a word?"

"It is now!" She picked up the photo of the butterfly. "And I'll snag this photograph as a symbol of our reunion. Cool?"

 _Reunion, yes!_

"Of course it's cool! Thank you. This camera is so sweet."

Chloe walked over to the hifi and knelt down, pulling out a CD that Max hadn't seen before. "So, now we got that mushy shit out of the way, I feel like stage diving!" She turned on the music, an upbeat guitar-driven piece that pounded with energy.

"No, wait Chloe!" called Max, walking over to the stereo and turning off the music.

"Dude, what the fuck?" Chloe had a joint halfway to her mouth, but something in Max's eyes stopped her from lighting up. "What is it?"

"I think I heard something," she said, holding up her hand. "Quick, put the joint away," she hissed, running over to the window and opened it wide, letting the fresh air in.

"You're nuts," said Chloe, going for her lighter.

"No, seriously, Chloe, put it away, now, _please_." Max's tone was insistent, and Chloe slowly lowered the joint. "Put it away, quickly, Chloe." Max's voice now sounded a little panicked, and Chloe, regarding her friend with some confusion, nodded and put the joint away.

"Max, what's up with…" She stopped as a voice shouted up the stairs.

"Chloe? You up there?" Immediately, Chloe froze and jumped off the bed.

"Max, you were right!" she hissed, and looked wildly around the room. "You need to hide. Step-shit will go mental if he sees you in here."

 _Time to cement the beginning of our beautiful friendship. Same as before._

"No Chloe, I won't hide."

"What? Seriously Max, you need to hide. Now."

"No way. I won't abandon you again Chloe." She stepped up next to Chloe and grabbed hold of her hand, holding on tightly. "I made that mistake once and no fucking way am I doing it again. We stay together from now on." The intensity of her voice made Chloe stop and look at Max, her eyes softening and for the first time, actually allowing herself to believe it could be true.

"Fair enough. Chloe and Max…"

"… partners in crime."


	7. 06 Time Manipulation

Last week, Max was wary of David Madsen. He'd appeared gruff and threatening all week, right up until he rescued her from the Dark Room. She'd seen him as a bully, when he'd bullied Kate, when he'd hit Chloe. She wasn't frightened of him per se, but she was definitely wary. However, all that changed in the Dark Room. It was at that point she'd seen the true David Madsen, the real personality underneath the gruff exterior. And it turned out he was a good person, a very good person. Someone she thought Chloe could get along with, if she'd give him a chance. However, all that was null and void now. He pushed the door open and stalked into the room, stopping when he saw that Chloe wasn't alone.

"Max," he said, nodding at her.

"Mr Madsen," she replied.

"Are you feeling better now?"

"Yes, thank you, and thank you for your help earlier today."

"My pleasure, Max. You were upset, you needed help. Just doing my job." The conversation seemed stilted and forced, and soon he turned his attention to Chloe.

"Chloe, you know I don't like strangers in my home."

"Yeah, well, it's none of your business, David. You can stop freaking. Max is my friend."

"Another one of your so-called 'friends', Chloe? No offence, Max."

"Be cool, man. Max is my… best friend." Max allowed herself a small smile at that. "I've known her a lot longer than I've known you. So chill, okay? Oh yeah, and do remember that we've been in this house for a lot longer than you have. Just try and put things in perspective ok?"

"Perspective? That's rich coming from you. You need to take a more respectful tone with me, young lady."

"I will when you're worthy of my respect. Dude, seriously? Don't you always say respect has to be earned? Well, you haven't earned my respect. And you never will."

"Mr Madsen," said Max, startling Chloe by stepping forward. "I'm sorry that I'm not welcome here. I'll be leaving in a moment, but before I go, perhaps I could put things into perspective. Chloe and I haven't seen each other in five years. Before I moved away, this was like my second home, and I loved Joyce like my own mother. Now that I'm back, I'm hoping that Chloe and I can become as close as we did before, but of course I don't want to step on your toes. If I'm not welcome here, then Chloe and I will go elsewhere to be friends." She turned to her friend. "Come on, Chloe, we'll go back to my dorm," she said, grabbing Chloe's hand and starting to walk away, but David stopped her, shaking his head.

"No, it's okay, Max," he said. He held up his hand and motioned towards Chloe. "I can see you care for Chloe, and I think that'll be good for her. Her choice in friends has not always been ideal, but hopefully you can be a good influence on her. I… apologise if I made you feel unwelcome. I was just surprised, that's all. But I will ask you not to get Chloe into any more trouble, okay? And on that note, Chloe," he said, turning back to his step-daughter, "one of my guns is missing. Please tell me you didn't take it."

"Yeah, like I'd have a gun, David," she said, still mad, but half-thinking about the look in Max's eyes. "You do know I believe in gun control, don't you? I mean, it's not like we've never talked about this at dinner."

"Chloe, I'm just looking out for you, you know. Contrary to what you might think, I do care…"

"David, enough with the shit, please. I'm nineteen now," started Chloe, but Max grabbed her arm. She looked into Max's eyes and something there made her stop talking.

"Girls," said Madsen, nodding. "There's some food in the fridge, or you can wait until Joyce comes home. You're welcome here whenever you want, Max, but please don't make me regret that decision."

"Um, no sir," said Max, and David left the room. Chloe just stared at Max for almost an entire minute in wonder, then raised both fingers to David, broke into a wide grin and hugged Max tightly.

"Dude, that was _so_ cool!" she said, bouncing up and down. "He didn't know what hit him!"

"I just know how to handle him, that's all," said Max. "I didn't know he was your step-father, though."

"Yeah, Joyce dragged his ass back here some time ago. But that was awesome, Max! We totally smacked his punk ass down. He's no match for the two of us. Epic win!" She looked at Max coyly for a moment, then grinned. "Because you're such a badass, Max, let me show you my new toy." She bent down behind the bed and then stood, holding something behind her back. Max looked at for a moment, then she jumped forward, revealing her gun and pointing it directly at Max. "I'm Price. Chloe Price! Bang!"

Max had forgotten this part, and her heart stopped. Her world stopped. She just saw the gun appearing in front of her face in slow motion and she screamed, her arms flying up as she instinctively threw herself to one side. The grin disappeared from Chloe's face immediately as her friend curled up in a foetal position on the floor, sobbing again. She dropped the gun and clapped her hand over her mouth.

"Oh god, Max, I'm sorry," she cried, dropping down to embrace her friend once more. "Jesus, I didn't think. Are you okay?"

"No I'm _not_ fucking okay, Chloe!" Max was slowly beginning to calm down, her tears replaced by cold fury as she looked up at Chloe. "Seriously, is there something fucking wrong with you? A gun? After what happened in the fucking bathroom?"

"Shit," said Chloe, "Max, I'm sorry. That was hella stupid of me." She suddenly broke out into a wide grin. "But if you wanted a hug from me, you could've just asked, you know." That elicited a giggle from the smaller girl, who stood up and wiped her face again.

"Dork. But seriously Chloe, you said you believe in gun control."

"Yeah. But when _I'm_ in control of the gun."

"Can you just put it away please, guns are the last thing I want to see right now."

"Sure Max," said Chloe, a little sheepishly, replacing the firearm in her beside box. "Anyway, time we weren't here. There is still one cool place we can hang in this hickhole…" She clambered out of the window and Max followed her, remembering how they used to dare each other to climb out and jump down when they were younger. She remembered it seemed much higher then. She followed Chloe down to the ground and into her truck.

 _Phase one is going reasonably well here, I think._

"Where to?" asked Max, although she knew exactly where they were going.

"You'll see," said Chloe, grinning, gunning the engine and driving off.

 _Shit, it's getting to the share point. Chloe'll tell me about Nathan drugging her, and this is where I share my secret, too. But can I? I mean, I know I can trust her, she proved that last week, but she'll want to know about Rachel, won't she? Things have to happen in the right order, I can't change things that much, or I'll screw everything up again. No, I can't tell her, yet. I have to keep this to myself. At least for now._

"We're here, space cadet," said Chloe, breaking into Max's thoughts and she focussed back on the real world. Chloe parked up and bounded out of the truck into the forest, running ahead, then stopping and running back.

"Isn't this awesome sauce?" she yelled. "Totally reminds me of when we were kids." She ran ahead again, laughing. "Come on, slowpoke!"

"Hold on, Chloe," shouted Max, trying to keep up but failing miserably. She finally stopped, out of breath. Up ahead, the path broke to reveal the lighthouse, although this time bathed in the fiery evening glow of sunset. Chloe had sat down on the bench, trying to look nonchalant as Max approached. She patted the seat next to her.

"Have a seat, Pete." Max grinned and sat down next to her friend. No, make that _best_ friend.

"You're in a good mood."

"Comes and goes. Seeing step-dork get played makes me bouncy."

"I'm not as brave as you, Chloe."

"I'm sorry you had to experience it firsthand. But shit, you not brave? Get real, Max, you stood up for me. In my book, that counts as heroic."

"I don't feel heroic, Chloe."

"Doesn't matter how you feel, Super-Max. You hella saved my life. That makes you my hero." Chloe's comment, although denied, warmed Max's heart.

 _Me, Chloe's hero. I still like that. She's my hero, too, even if she doesn't know that._

"Does that make you my hero as well? I mean, you _did_ save me from Nathan," said Max, smiling. Chloe pursed her lips, trying not to grin as she thought about Max's comment.

"I suppose. Never been a hero before," she said, slowly.

"Well, perhaps we'll both have to get used to it," smiled Max, bumping her friend with her shoulder. "Is he always like that?"

"David? Pretty much. Ever since my desperate mom dragged his ass home. I've never trusted him. He's got some weird shit going on in the garage with his files. I'm not allowed in there on pain of death." A thought crossed her mind. "Wait a sec, you went in the garage, didn't you?"

"Yes, to get the tools."

"Did you see anything?"

Max felt her face burning and tried not to smile. "I might have."

"I totally knew it!" screamed Chloe, laughing. "You ninja you! What did you find? I bet he's got some serious porn in there!"

"Some fucking disturbing shit, Chloe. He'd been taking surveillance photos of Kate all over the place. He has maps of the school, all sorts of crap there."

"Yeah, he's got some surveillance fetish, always has. Rambo thinks he's still gathering intelligence. I worry sometimes he's got spy cams around the house, you know."

 _Oh man. I can't not say anything!_

"I knew you didn't know, Chloe. Your house _is_ under surveillance."

"What?"

"Yeah, there are cameras all over the house. Garage, living room, garden, landing, bedroom."

"No shit. _My_ bedroom? He's got a fucking camera in my room, the perv, I'll…"

"No, not your bedroom. That seems to be clear. I saw them on a monitor in the garage."

"Fuck! He is so hella fucking paranoid. I can't tell Mom about this, though. Not yet, anyway. I'll keep it a secret. Knowledge is power, Max…"

"… and ignorance can be bliss. Yeah, I know. We don't want Joyce to get paranoid as well."

"No wonder I'm so miserable. Everyone in this shithole town knows everyone else's secrets."

 _Ah, here we go. Keep her talking, Max._

"And your secret, Chloe? Does anyone know that?" Max asked carefully. "I mean, I heard you talking to Nathan about money and drugs, but I'd obviously missed the preamble."

"Well, he…" It was Chloe's turn to hesitate, and Max was dismayed to see her struggling to hold her expression steady. Without thinking, Max put an arm around her friend.

"It's ok, Chloe. I'm here. Tell me."

The taller girl smiled gratefully. It was obvious she needed to get this off her chest, almost as much as Max needed to. "He dosed me with some drugs in his room, Max."

"He _what?_ "

"Look, I was stupid and needed money. I was in some hick shithole bar in the ass end of town that couldn't be bothered to card me. He was there too, flashing his cash around and telling whoever'd listen that he was Nathan Prescott. I thought he'd be an easy score, you know?"

"You needed money that bad?"

"Actually, yes, I owe someone a lot of money. And I thought I'd get enough to pay back what I owe, and have enough left over to skip town when Rachel showed up."

 _Remember to offer Chloe some money. She'll turn it down, but it's another notch._

"How much?" asked Max. Her voice was quiet, almost to a whisper, but in the stillness of the growing dusk her voice carried perfectly. "Can… can I help?"

"Three grand, plus interest, and no Max, I won't take money from you for that. Although you're sweet to offer. You've already made my day by coming back into my life when I thought I'd lost you. So yeah, I thought I'd get a chunk of it from shithead Prescott, but he fucking put some shit in my drink."

"God Chloe," whispered Max, "I can't believe this. I mean," she added quickly, "I do believe it. Every word. But, Nathan, man, this is fucked up."

"I know I passed out on the floor. I woke up and that fucking perv was smiling, crawling towards me with a camera. Everything was a blur," she continued, her voice becoming higher and quicker, "I tried to kick him in the balls and broke a lamp. He freaked, so I managed to bum rush the door and get the hell out of Dodge. Max, it was hella insane."

"So in the bathroom today…"

"… I figured I'd make him pay to keep me quiet. So we arranged to meet in the bathroom."

"And he brought a gun."

"Fuck yeah, I didn't expect that. That was scary. But it's his last mistake, Max, I swear to you."

"He's still dangerous, Chloe. And not just to you."

"Yeah, and Wells helped, didn't he?"

"Let's not mention him, Chloe. He was more than useless."

"But you were here today for me. You saved me. I'm still tripping on that, Max. Seeing you after all these years. It feels like…"

"Destiny?"

Chloe didn't answer immediately. She leaned forward and stood, Max at her side. Together, they walked to the edge of the cliff and peered out across Arcadia Bay. From their vantage point by the lighthouse, they had a wonderful view all across the bay. The town, the Academy, the coastal path and the long sandy beach that they'd played on for hours and hours before collapsing at one of their houses, laughing and waiting for their food.

"Max?"

"Hmm?"

"If this is destiny, I hope we can find Rachel." Chloe held out her hand and Max took it, pulling the older girl closer. "I miss her, Max. I really miss her. This shit-pit has taken away everyone I've ever loved. I'd like to drop a bomb on Arcadia Bay and turn it all to fucking glass."

As Chloe said the word 'bomb', Max felt it go off in her head. She stepped back, dropping to her knees and cradling her head in her hands.

"Max?"

…

 _Fuck, no! This can't be happening!_

The darkness that Max had hoped she'd left behind was back. And the rain, the wind, the biting cold. She looked around her at a very familiar scene. She was at the bottom of the trail leading to the lighthouse. She felt the darkness suffocate her, the rain and wind stinging her face as she lifted her arm to ward off the storm.

She knew what to do.

The transparent doe led the way, up the path, around the pile of rocks that crashed down just after she'd passed them. She hurried on as quickly as she could, the lightning hitting the tree as she passed under it. She jumped ahead and felt the tree crash down inches behind her and she pushed on, her heart beating wildly.

At the top of the trail, she saw the thing that made her heart sink and her spirits plummet. There it was, in all its glory, advancing on the town like a predator stalks its prey. Slow, unhurried but utterly unstoppable.

The tornado.

Once again, she headed for the bench, running and jumping across as the boat crashed into the lighthouse above her. She grabbed hold of the newspaper and saw the same date as before: Friday, October 11th 2013. Four days away.

 _This is still happening? I didn't stop anything? Fuck, fuck, FUCK!_

Something landed on her shoulder and she jumped violently once more, swinging around to see Chloe. A second later she realised the storm was gone, and she was back in the fading sunlight of Arcadia Bay, and Chloe was looking at her with a very concerned look on her face. Max slumped to the floor and burst into tears, while Chloe just supported her and held her close.

"Chloe... you're here. I'm back. Oh god, it's real. It's still fucking happening. I fixed nothing. I could have let you… and all for nothing!" She sobbed hysterically into Chloe's shoulder.

"Slow down, Max, calm down. Come on, sit down." She led Max back to the bench and Max gratefully collapsed onto it, still holding Chloe tight and close, although the younger girl was still fighting for breath and shivering, although it was still warm. "What happened?"

"I saw it, Chloe. I saw it again."

"What do you mean? You blacked out. I looked back and saw you hold your head and crouch down. Then you got up and walked to the edge. That's when I pulled you back. Max, you totally zoned out on me there. I was afraid you wouldn't stop at the edge."

"How long?"

"Were you zoned? About ten seconds, give or take, something like that."

Max stared up at Chloe, trying to make sense of it all. "It seemed longer than that, Chloe. I was here. I mean, at the lighthouse, only it was different. There was a huge storm raging, a tornado. It was heading for Arcadia. Chloe, it was so real. I could feel the electricity crackling all around me."

"Shit, Max, that sounds intense."

"I found a newspaper. It was dated the eleventh."

"Wait… you mean…"

"Yes. We're going to have a huge tornado on Friday."

Chloe was silent for a few moments. "No way, Max, how could you know that?"

"Chloe, I know. It was real."

"I'm sure it seemed real, Max, but listen to yourself."

Max clung tighter to her friend and buried her head in Chloe's chest. "Of all the people, Chloe, I need you to believe me. Please, I need you to be with me now. I…"

 _Chloe, please. I need you._

"Ssh Max, it's okay," said Chloe, still holding Max in the embrace, "but you don't expect me to believe that, do you?"

"Chloe…"

"Come on, Max, you're winding me up."

"Chloe, are you calling me a liar? After we promised each other?" Max referred back to the promise made between the two best friends, way before Max ever left for Seattle. A promise made in blood, and a promise never broken.

"Max, I know we promised never to lie to each other. But look at it from my point of view?"

"Chloe…"

"Okay, I know you wouldn't lie to me, Max, I know that. I'm sorry, okay?" Chloe held up her hands in resignation, then helped Max to sit on the bench overlooking the cliff. "I still don't see how this could be true though. I mean, are you seriously telling me you can see the future?"

Max bit her lip and looked directly into Chloe's eyes. "It's… complicated, Chloe."

"Whatever we've gone through in the past, whatever hurt we've caused each other in the present, I know _you_ , and I know that you have never lied to me. Ever. And I don't believe you'd start now, although I suppose if you're going to, may as well make it a good one, eh?" She nudged Max in the ribs and the younger girl giggled before going silent again and renewing the embrace. "So spill Max. Tell me." Max let the tears flow.

 _This isn't the same. It's not easy. God, it's so not easy. Just because I did this last week doesn't mean she'll react the same way. I need to remember that._

"Look, Chloe, this is going to sound insane. I wasn't going to tell you, but…"

"You weren't?"

"I didn't think you'd believe me, but…"

"You don't trust me?"

"No, Chloe, it's not that at all. Look, when you hear what I have to say, you might think differently. But there is one condition."

"Name it."

"I can't tell you everything."

"What?"

"I mean, I _will_ tell you everything, Chloe, but I can't tell you everything _now_."

"Why not?"

Max paused and scratched the back of her neck. "As I said, it's complicated. It's not that I don't trust you, far from it. Chloe, you really have no idea just how much faith I have in you." She placed her hands in Chloe's and looked at her friend directly once more, the intensity of her gaze almost made Chloe look away, but something held her back and she returned Max's gaze. "I… look, there's no easy way to sugar-coat this, so I'll just say it." She took a deep breath. "Over the next few days, I know what's going to happen."

Chloe blinked. "What?"

"Like I said. Not insane. But I know the future. Or at least, the next few days. Until Friday."

"Max…"

"I know how it sounds, Chloe, but please, I need you to believe me. There's more to this that I can't tell you… yet. There are certain things that have to happen, and if you know in advance, it could change things irreparably." She shook her head. "I promise I'll tell you everything when I can, and I promise I won't let you be in any danger." She chewed on her bottom lip and looked to the floor. "Chloe, I really need to you trust me on this, like you've never trusted me before. Please." Her voice cracked slightly as she continued. "I can't do this on my own. I need you by my side."

Chloe was silent for ages, and when she finally spoke, her voice was practically a whisper. "How do you know this?"

"I… I can't tell you that. Yet."

"So today… how much of today did you know?"

"I knew you'd show up in the parking lot and take me home with you. I knew that David would show when he did…"

"Fuck," breathed Chloe, "you were so insistent that I put that joint away." She looked at Max. "You knew…"

"… yes, and I knew you'd bring me here and tell me about Nathan. There were other things as well, but they involved other people, like Dana, Warren, Juliet and Alyssa."

"You already knew about Nathan and me?"

Max looked down. "Yes."

"And you said nothing?" Chloe was struck by another thought. "You weren't going to tell me this, were you? How long were you going to leave it?"

"Chloe?" Something about Chloe's voice concerned Max.

"You knew I'd show in the parking lot, so you made sure you needed rescuing from Nathan, so I'd take you home. You prepared me not to be too angry at you…" Chloe's expression darkened. "You totally manipulated me, didn't you?"

"Chloe…" Max looked at her friend in desperation.

"And what about the bathroom, Max? You knew Nathan would be there? With a gun?"

"Yes…" whispered Max, her heart sinking. This wasn't going the way it should.

"And you say that you trust me and need me to trust you? How the fuck can I do that, knowing you're manipulating me? Come to that, you're probably doing it now!" Chloe's voice was rising as fast as her blood pressure.

"Chloe, no, you can't…"

"Fuck you, Max! I'd started to care about you again! You know how difficult that is for me?" Max mumbled something but Chloe didn't catch it. "What was that?"

"I said, I do know, Chloe."

"Oh yeah, of course. You know every-fucking-thing, don't you?" She shook her head and abruptly stood. "Yeah. Fuck you, Max. I don't need this bullshit, from you, or _anybody_." She started to walk away, but then stopped in her tracks. She spoke without turning around. "However, unlike you, I'm not going to just up and fucking leave. Come on, I'll drive you back to your dorm."

"Chloe, please…" Max was nearly in tears. "I need you…"

"Yeah well, news-flash, Max. I don't need you. I've been perfectly fine without you for five years." She shrugged. "Unless you want to stay here, of course." She began to walk away and Max quickly ran to catch up, tears streaming down her cheeks. She found she couldn't say anything at all to Chloe during the journey back, neither of them commented on the bizarre snowfall that seemed to come out of nowhere, and soon the truck drew up outside Blackwell Academy.

"Chloe, I…" Max finally managed to say, but Chloe shook her head and motioned for Max to get out. She did so, and as soon as she closed the door, Chloe drove off. Max barely held herself together as she walked back to the dorms. As she climbed the stairs to her floor, she was so deep in thought, thinking about Chloe that she wasn't looking where she was going, and before she knew it, she'd walked into something and dropped her bag and new camera.

"Hey, watch where you're going, Lamefield!" said a familiar voice, and she looked up to see Victoria looking down on her as she scrabbled to pick up her bag. Tears began streaming down her face again.

"Victoria, please, not tonight. I can't deal with your shit as well," she managed to say in between sobs, but Victoria, after a quick look around to check that no-one was looking, knelt down and picked up her camera. She looked at it, turning it around in her hands, then handed it back to Max.

"Nice camera," she said, quietly. "It's not damaged." She helped Max to her feet and brushed some dust off her back. "What's wrong, Max?" she asked, gently, but Max began sobbing wildly and ran off up the stairs, banging through the door to the corridor and out of sight.

"Fuck," said Victoria, frowning to herself, "that went well." She looked up the stairs, as if considering what to do next, but eventually shook her head and continued down to the grounds.

…

Up in her room, Max flung herself onto her bed and just let everything out. Everything she'd been holding in all day, hoping that things would go well, came flooding out of her and she sobbed and screamed, beating the bed with her fists, not caring who heard. Eventually, there were no more tears left to cry, and she lay on the bed, totally exhausted, breathing raggedly and with a pounding headache. Too tired to move, or get up, or change into her nightwear, she lay like that for what seemed like hours until there was a gentle knock on the door.

"Max?" A soft, concerned voice came from the other side of the door. "Max, may I come in, please?" When Max didn't answer, the door creaked open slightly. "I'm coming in, Max, okay?"


	8. 07 Reaching Out

**A/N:**

 **Thanks to all who have commented on the previous chapter. I don't usually do A/N but considering I've received so many votes for who is behind the door (reveal below), I thought I'd let you know.**

 **We are split between Kate and Victoria, with a couple of votes for Chloe and one for Dana.**

 **Thanks all, your comments really keep me motivated to extend and improve my fics.**

* * *

Victoria Chase sighed dramatically and paced around her room, wondering what to do about Max. To be honest, not just Max, but Max was the catalyst to it all.

Everything was absolutely peachy until the paint ruined her cashmere. Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time. And those two useless sluts Taylor and Courtney took their sweet time getting the towels, allowing Max to stroll up and offer to help. More than offer, in fact. She'd even started wiping off the paint without asking permission to touch her! Of all the…

But her touch was gentle rather than brash. After everything that had happened, even after the 'go fuck your selfie' statement (which Victoria was actually quite proud of), Max was actually genuinely helpful. Victoria knew that she probably wouldn't have acted the same had the positions reversed, and she'd stumbled up Max full of paint. No, she'd probably have taken the chance to snap a quick photograph, catch her in a compromising position and post it up on Facebook for a quick humiliation. But Max didn't do that. She helped.

 _Well, she tried to help. She didn't actually do all that much really. I had to spend half an hour in the shower afterwards to get that paint out, and it's still not all gone._

And the things she'd said.

 _How did she know?_

She'd thought about that for a good half an hour before she came to the conclusion that Max must have guessed that she was the one responsible for the video.

 _I mean, who else would have thought to do it? Taylor? Yeah, right!_

And she'd actually had the balls to ask Victoria to take the video down. Like that was going to happen. Only…

Victoria looked again at the webpage she'd opened. It had taken a bit of finding, to be honest, and she wasn't sure why she'd spent so much time finding it, especially because Max seemed so insistent she research the subject.

 _'Unlike adults, who have the ability to seek assistance on their own, teenagers or children can quickly become overwhelmed by feelings of despair or depression, leading to suicidal thoughts or actions. It is important to recognise the signs, or red flags in their behaviour or general demeanour. Learn what teen depression looks like, and learn what to do if you spot the warning signs._

 _While it might seem that recognising depression is reasonably black and white, the signs aren't always obvious, and can come in varying shades of grey. For one thing, teens with depression or suicidal thoughts don't necessarily appear sad, so it is important to look at other signs as well. These can include:_

· _Irritability or anger._

· _Tearfulness or frequent crying._

· _Isolation or withdrawal from friends or family._

· _Loss of interest in activities or hobbies._

· _Covering of windows or other light sources, and a general darkening of their living environment._

· _Changes in eating or sleeping habits._

· _Inability to look at themselves in mirrors or photographs._

 _Seriously depressed teens often think about, or speak of, or make 'attention-getting' attempts at suicide. But an alarming and increasing number of teenage suicide attempts are successful, so suicidal thoughts or red flags should always be taken very seriously.'_

What was it Max said? About covering over windows and mirrors? There was no way to know if Max was telling the truth. How could she even know?

But there was one thing that caught Victoria's attention. She lived next door to Kate, and every morning she'd hear Kate practising her violin. She was actually very good, and, even though Victoria would never admit it to anyone, not even under pain of fashion torture, she enjoyed listening to Kate's playing, so much so that she'd started waking up early so she could hear it.

Except she hadn't played at all in days. Not since the party.

 _Loss of interest in activities or hobbies._

She couldn't get it out of her head. Could Kate be…

The buzzing of her phone interrupted her thoughts, and she picked it up, glad for the distraction.

 _[NP]: Hey Vic, get ur bitch ass over here. Shit's going down._

 _Fuck, Nathan's more of a drama queen than some of the girls around here!_

Still, she knew better than to ignore a summons from a Prescott. She did that once. Never again. Instead, she immediately threw a jacket over her shoulders and left her room, stalking down the corridor with a brief glance at Kate's door as she passed.

Halfway down the stairs, however, she saw Max coming the other way. She wasn't looking where she was going and before Victoria could get out of the way, she'd walked straight into her, dropping her bag and camera onto the hard floor.

"Hey, watch where you're going, Lamefield!" said Victoria, without thinking, as Max bent down to pick up her bag.

 _Is she… crying?_

"Victoria, please, not tonight. I can't deal with your shit as well," said Max, struggling to get her words out as tears streamed down her cheeks. Something about her demeanour resonated with Victoria, and, with a quick look around to make sure nobody was watching, she bent down to help Max. She picked up Max's camera, an old, although well-looked-after, instant Polaroid model. She looked at it, turning it over in her hands, looking for signs of damage, then handed it back to Max.

"Nice camera," she said, quietly helping Max to her feet and brushing some dust off Max's back. "It's not damaged," she added, noticing that Max was barely holding herself together.

 _She helped me earlier…_

"What's wrong, Max?" she asked, gently, but Max immediately began sobbing uncontrollably and ran off up the stairs. A few seconds later she heard a door bang shut. "Fuck," she swore, frowning to herself. "That went well." For a few moments, she contemplated actually going after Max. The girl was obviously upset about something, and it would give Victoria a chance for a bit of closure. She didn't like feeling she owed Max for her help earlier in the day, but she remembered Nathan and eventually shook her head, heading further down the stairs and out into the grounds.

…

"So the little bitch actually went and told Wells that I had a gun! Fucking little hipster trash! It's a good thing he didn't believe her," said Nathan, who'd been talking now for nearly ten minutes without stopping. "I mean, my father getting involved certainly helped, but for fuck's sake! People shouldn't be allowed to make up such blatant stories. What if he'd believed her?" Nathan paced around his room, as he had been doing constantly since Victoria arrived. He'd taken something, she was sure of that.

She knew that talking to Nathan was like playing a game of feathers or lead. 'Feathers or lead' was an old riddle of a man, tested by a demon. He had to answer the question 'feathers or lead?', only the answer was whatever the demon wanted it to be, and could change every single time they play. Talking to Nathan was the same. Do you listen to him rant? Do you talk back? Do you answer his questions? The answer was: all of the above. And none of the above, depending on what Nathan wanted at the time.

This time, Victoria was content to let him rant. And rant he did.

"I can't believe she'd say something like that. To the principal, as well? Doesn't she know who I am? Doesn't she know I have her in the palm of my hand?" Nathan held his hand out and suddenly made a fist, crushing an imaginary Max inside. He was getting really worked up and continued to pace around his room. "It's a good thing Wells knows his place," he said, sitting on his bed but standing up again almost immediately. "Father has him trained well." He laughed at the pun, and Victoria dutifully laughed along with him.

 _Now I know how Courtney feels, laughing at me. Shit, where did that come from?_

The thought came unbidden into her head and she shook it, trying to clear the unwanted thought, but it refused to go away.

 _Taylor, too. They laugh with you because they feel they have to. But are they laughing with you, or at you? Um, Victoria? Why are you thinking this?_

She frowned, trying to clear her head, but Nathan noticed.

"What?" he said, looking sharply over at her, "you don't agree?"

"Um," Victoria had to think quickly. "No, Nathan, you're quite right. How could she even think about saying something like that? I mean, we all know you don't have a gun." Nathan nodded and seemed to acquiesce.

 _Shit, that was a close one._

"Yeah," he said. "Fuck, she needs to be taken down a peg or two. I nearly got to her this afternoon. In the parking lot. It was just her and me." Victoria looked at her friend with wide eyes.

"Did you…"

"Nah," he said. "I had her cornered and was about to speak to her, but this other bitch showed up out of nowhere in her truck and she got away." He shook his head, clenching and unclenching his fists as he paced around. "Dunno where she went. I'll have to see if I can catch her later on. Little _bitch_!"

 _Are they actually your friends?_

"Are you listening to me, Vic?"

"Um, yeah, of course I am," she replied.

 _Do I actually have friends? Proper friends, not just hangers-on. Would they comfort you if you were down? Did they today? Did they fuck! They just took their sweet time getting the towels!_

"So what do you think I should do?" asked Nathan, bringing Victoria back to reality. She shook her head to give herself some time to clear her mind, while she tried to bring herself back into the conversation. Not listening to Nathan was a mortal sin. That was rule #1 – when Nathan is talking, he is the centre of the universe.

"Do you really need to do anything, Nate?" she said. "I mean, it sounds like Wells said you have no case to answer, so it doesn't actually matter what she's said, it's not going to go any further, is it?"

"No, of course not. Especially now my father got involved. I mean, it wouldn't have mattered if he didn't get involved; it's not like I need him, do I?" Victoria nodded dutifully, and he continued. "I've got Wells well-trained. He knows not to fuck with the Prescotts. Just like you, eh?" he said, lightly punching Victoria's arm. She winced; the punch wasn't as light as he thought, but she knew she couldn't be seen to rub her arm. "And that little fuck-bitch won't bother me again, I made sure of that."

"What do you mean?"

"In the parking lot. Even though I was interrupted, I taught her a lesson she won't soon forget," he said, smiling.

"You… hurt her?"

"She hurt herself. She fell over before I could get anywhere near her." He shrugged. "I only wanted to talk some sense into her, but then that blue-haired punk bitch dragged her off in that shitty old truck she's got."

"Punk? Blue hair?"

"Yeah. You know her?"

"I think so. She used to go to Blackwell last year. Can't remember her name though. Got herself kicked out. She used to hang around with that Amber girl." Victoria frowned. "Never liked her."

"Rachel?" Nathan stopped pacing and looked at Victoria.

"Yeah. Well I didn't get on with either of them, but Rachel always thought she was above everyone. Even me. I mean, she'd come along to the Vortex Club parties and flaunt herself all over… wait," she continued, remembering, "she hung out with you as well, didn't she?"

"What? Me?" Nathan voice dropped. "No, I… I didn't know her." Unfortunately, Victoria didn't catch the danger signal and carried on talking.

"Sure you did, Nate, I saw the two of you together at a couple of Vortex parties. You definitely…"

" _I said I didn't know her!_ " yelled Nathan, suddenly whipping around and pinning Victoria to the bed, grabbing her throat. " _Got it?_ "

Victoria's head whirled suddenly, her blooding running cold and she fought for breath. She'd known Nathan a long time, and while he was prone to fits of rage and fury, and had been in a fair few fights, he'd never been violent or shown any signs of violence towards her. But the speed that he'd spun around, crossed the room and pinned her to the bed was astounding. She had no time to prepare or react at all.

"Nate…" she said, weakly, but he wasn't done.

" _Remember, I told you, Vic! I never spent time with that girl. I never saw her, and you definitely never saw her with me. Got it? Got it?_ " He released her and her hand flew to her neck as she dumbly nodded, sucking in air hungrily as she rubbed her neck.

"Nate…" Her voice was filled with surprise more than anything else.

"You'd better go," he said, his eyes showing no signs of remorse at what he'd done. Victoria didn't need to be told twice; she scrambled off the bed and got out of the room as quickly as she could make it. As she left the room her phone buzzed, but she was too involved in getting out of the boys' dorms to answer it. Once outside she sat on a bench, the adrenaline wearing off and being replaced by shock, her body beginning to shiver and tremble as she thought about what had happened. Her lips quivered but she fought back the tears, remembering instead to look at her phone. It was a text from Taylor.

 _[Sweet_T]: Tori! There's an awful racket coming from Lamefield's room. I've no idea how you're going to sleep with all the crying and screaming coming from inside. Seems she's finally worked out no-one loves her!_

Victoria shook her head, clearing it, and thought back to Nathan.

 _It was more of a shock than anything else. I mean, he didn't actually hit me or hurt me, not really. But he was like that with me, what's he like with others? He said he was just going to speak to Max in the parking lot. But if she felt the need to escape in a truck… Oh Nathan, what have you got yourself into?_

And Max was seriously upset about something, it sounded like from Taylor.

 _She reached out to me earlier when no-one else was around._

 _Maybe I need to do the same for her._

 _Should I?_

 _Would she even talk to me?_

 _Don't care. I have to try. Nobody else is._

Decision made, she stood up and made her way back into the girls' dorms, and up to the second floor. The corridor was quiet now, but when she stood outside Max's room, she could hear a quiet whimpering coming from inside. She raised her hand to knock, but waited.

 _Should I? I could be getting myself into god knows what here. If Max has got herself on the wrong side of Nathan, for whatever reason… can I afford to be seen helping her? No, she was there for me this afternoon, I need to return the favour._

Before she could change her mind, she knocked softly on the door. There was no answer. "Max?" she called, gently. When there was still no answer, she knocked again. "Max, may I come in, please?" When Max didn't answer, she pushed the door and it opened slightly. "I'm coming in, Max, okay?" There was still no answer, so she opened the door a little more and peered around it, seeing Max curled up, trembling on her bed.

 _Oh shit!_

Wasting no time, she entered Max's room, closing the door securely behind her. There was no point at all in patronising Max by asking if she was okay.

"Max, what's wrong?" she said, softly, and Max looked up at her, seeing her for the first time.

"Vic… toria?" Max's voice was soft, but a broken sort of soft. It was flat and wooden, devoid of emotion. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, believe it or not, Taylor said you sounded upset earlier and…" Victoria's mouth dried up.

"And… what?"

"And I was concerned, okay?"

"You were concerned… about me? Why? You've never liked me." Victoria's heart dropped at the matter-of-fact way Max said this. "You hate me."

"It… it does seem that way," conceded Victoria, with a shameful nod. "But right now, you need to forget everything you think you know about me, okay? I'm just here for you. Right here. Right now." She sat on the bed next to Max and put a consoling hand on her shoulder. "Talk to me, Max, please."

"I… can't."

"Why not?"

Max shrugged. "It'll just be on Facebook tomorrow. There are some things that I'd rather everyone didn't know. You know, privacy?"

"Do you hate me _that_ much, Max?" The smaller girl shook her head and sniffled into her pillow.

"No," she said, "I don't hate you. I just don't trust you."

Victoria thought for a moment and nodded. "That's fair," she conceded. "I guess I've not exactly been particularly trustworthy to you. But I promise you, for what it's worth, I promise you that anything you say to me tonight will stay between these walls. Besides, if I'm honest, I could probably do with a friend tonight, too." She felt a solitary tear escape her left eye.

"What about Taylor? Courtney?"

"They're not exactly friends, are they? _You_ reached out to me this afternoon, Max. You said you knew I had another side to me. Did you mean that?"

Max sniffed and nodded, burying her head in her pillow once more. "Yeah," she mumbled.

"Then I choose you, Max. If you'll talk to me tonight, I'll talk to you." At this, Max looked up at Victoria.

"And you'll take the video down?"

"What?"

"I said…"

"I know what you said, Max. I meant, you're upset and you're _still_ thinking of others?" Victoria shook her head in wonder. "Max Caulfield, you are something else." She nodded. "Yes, I'll take the video down." At this, Max suddenly sat up and gave Victoria a quick hug, just as quickly flumping back down on the bed.

"Thanks," she mumbled, "but I don't feel like talking yet."

"That's okay, Max," said Victoria, stroking Max's side as she lay on the bed, "sometimes it helps to know you're not alone." She stayed that way for a while, every now and then gently stroking Max to let her know she was still there with her, until she brushed the back of Max's head and thee smaller girl winced in pain. Concerned, Victoria checked the back of Max's head and was horrified to see the large bump and a little caked blood there. She quickly went to the bathroom and returned with a wet cloth, gently cleaning and wiping the bruised area until she could clearly see the wound. "Does it hurt?" she asked.

"Not so much now," replied Max, "although earlier on, when Nathan…"

"Nathan did this?" said Victoria, mouth open in horror.

 _He said he just talked to her and she… Goddammit Nate, what did you do?_

"He slapped me, tried to slap me again but I evaded it, then he pushed me to the ground and I hit my head on the concrete," she said, wincing again at the memory as she felt the bump. "It's… okay?"

"Yeah, it's not bleeding or anything. It looks sore."

"Only when I touch it," said Max.

"Max, tell me what happened, please." Victoria sounded a mixture of insistent and really worried, and Max looked up and nodded.

"Tea?" she asked, and Victoria nodded. Max got up and spent a few minutes making two cups of tea, then sat back down on the bed with the blanket wrapped around her shoulders, holding a steaming mug of tea in her hands. "Nathan wasn't happy that I told Principal Wells I'd seen him in the girls' bathroom with a gun, so he cornered me in the parking lot. He shouted a lot, pushed me backwards against Warren's car. I tried to escape but he slapped me. I managed to evade the second slap, but I was off-balance. He pushed me backwards and I fell, hitting my head on the ground. He would have done far more, but Chloe appeared, picked me up and drove off with me. I don't remember anything until about an hour later, when I found myself in her house." Her voice was quite wooden as she recounted the goings-on, as if she was standing up in court and reading a statement of someone else's actions.

"Chloe?" Victoria couldn't help but ask, but she felt pain shooting through her as Max's face fell at the mention of the girl's name. "Your blue-haired friend?"

"Yeah, that's her. We were… we were best of friends before I moved away to Seattle," said Max. "We… lost touch. It was the first time I'd seen her in five years." Max allowed herself a small smile. "I wasn't expecting the blue hair, to be honest. She's changed."

 _I think we're getting to the nub of the problem here._

"Is… she still your best friend?"

"I thought so," said Max, beginning to sniffle. "We re-connected, I guess you could say, but I fucked it all up again. It was my fault we lost touch, I didn't contact her for five years, but I apologised and I thought she'd forgiven me. We were really starting to re-connect, but I fucked it all up and she hates me now. She couldn't even look at me when we got back here." Max started crying again and Victoria had to stop herself from taking the smaller girl in her arms; now was not the time.

In past weeks, Victoria would have been all over this; trying to find out what Max had said or done, usually to have some ammunition to use against her. But tonight, she found, to her surprise, that she didn't want to know what had been done or said to cause this. She found herself just wanting to comfort the smaller girl, same as Max had done to her earlier in the day.

"Did she actually say that she hates you? I mean, did she actually say the words?" asked Victoria, quietly.

"No," started Max, "but she couldn't look at me or talk to me. Oh Victoria, I miss her so much! I can't take it if she hates me!" Max began sobbing and this time Victoria couldn't help herself. She drew Max into her arms and rocked her back and forth.

"Ssh," she whispered. "I think I know who you're talking about, I think I knew her when she was here last year. I don't know her very well, but I do know that she runs hot and cold, and not much in between." Max giggled a little at this in between sobs, and Victoria took that as her cue to continue. "As I say, I don't think she'd wait five years for you to come back, accept your apology and spend time re-connecting with you, just to decide she hates you."

"You think?" Max's voice was very quiet.

"I'm sure," said Victoria. "She and I didn't exactly see eye to eye, but I know that she and Rachel Amber were tight. She's loyal to her friends. Really loyal. She may be angry with you, but she doesn't hate you. Look," she continued, "she didn't actually say that she hates you?"

"No," murmured Max.

"Then she doesn't. No way." Victoria emphasised that with a shake of her head. "Believe me." Max mumbled something that Victoria didn't catch. "What was that?"

"Do you hate me?"

"No, I don't," said Victoria. "Although I know why you'd think that, and to be honest, I've been… a bitch to you. And I'm sorry, Max. I don't hate you."

"I know," said Max. "But the thing is, Victoria, you've no reason to be that insecure."

"What do you mean?" frowned the blonde girl.

"You. You're insecure. In fact, you're so insecure that you continually have to beat down anyone you perceive as a threat to you. And you don't need to. You're so talented, Victoria, you should be inspiring people rather than tearing them a new one."

"Max, where did that come from? I mean, how do you know this?" Max bit her lip and looked away.

"Victoria, I… I can't tell you that. Please, please don't ask me that." Tears filled her eyes and Victoria immediately drew the girl close once more.

"Okay, I won't press it now, Max. But you _can_ tell me, you know." She motioned outside with her head. "I don't know about out there, but in here I'm your friend, Max, and you can trust me, I can promise you that."

"Out there?"

Victoria sighed. "It's all about appearances, Max. I have to be seen to be superior, to be in charge of everything. In here I can actually be myself, but out there, if I was like this, I'd be eaten alive." She sighed again. "I never thought I'd say this, but it's really rather nice in here. There's no pressure on me, I can just relax." She looked around. "I don't think I've been in here before. It's… nice, Max. Wait, you play the guitar?"

"Yeah, I… Victoria, what's that?" Max pointed to the ugly red mark on Victoria's neck, visible when she turned her head around." She reached up and traced around the mark with her index finger, a sensation which Victoria found oddly calming. "That's a hand mark!" Her hand flew to her mouth. "Victoria? Who…"

"It's nothing," said the taller girl, "I was talking to Nathan earlier and he… I said…" Max reached up and traced the mark again.

"It seems we've both fallen foul of him today," murmured Max. "Does it hurt?"

Victoria shook her head. "No, he caught me by surprise more than anything else." She motioned to Max's head. "Did he really do that to you?" When Max nodded, Victoria paused, deciding whether to ask the question or not. Sense won out. "Did he really have a gun, Max?" she asked, her voice close to a whisper.

"Do you not believe me?"

"It's not that, Max," she said. "It's… he told me earlier that he didn't, that's all. And if he did…" She drew in a large breath. "Max, that's scary."

"You're telling me," replied Max. "I wasn't lying."

"Shit," breathed Victoria. "I mean, I've known him for so long, but this is… this is another level."

"I know," said Max, and Victoria turned to her.

"Max, I'm sorry," she said. "I'm sorry I've been such a bitch to you so far. I don't hate you, in fact, I think you're actually quite cool. I can't promise how I'll be out there, when I'm with the others, but I'd like to try and be friends, if you want."

"I'd like that very much, Victoria," said Max, "but I don't know if I can just be a secret friend. That's not very… nice."

"I know," said Victoria, "look, perhaps we can agree to not be bitchy around each other, and see where we go from there?"

"Deal," said Max.

"Are you feeling a little better?"

"A little. I… Victoria, I love Chloe. I'm not sure I can live in a world where she hates me," said Max, looking down at her hands. Victoria sighed at the girl's vulnerability, but inside she was doing a little victory dance at the thought that Max was trusting her with her deepest secret.

"Take it from me, Max," she said, "Chloe doesn't hate you. In fact, I'd put money that she'll contact you in the morning to apologise."

"Chloe? Apologise?" Max giggled in spite of herself.

"Yes. She _will_ apologise. To you. Believe it, Max. If she's taken the time to accept your apology, and she believes your friendship is as important as you do, then yes. She'll contact you in the morning."

"I'd like to believe you," sighed Max, "but I don't know. But I think I'm beginning to trust you," she said. "If I give you a letter, will you promise not to open it until tomorrow evening?"

"Max?"

"I mean it, Victoria. Promise me you will not open it until tomorrow night. After nine o'clock."

"Um, okay, Max," said Victoria, confused. "I promise."

"I really mean this, Victoria."

"I promised, okay?"

"Okay. When you read it tomorrow, you can come and see me. But you can't talk to me until then, okay?"

"I'm confused…"

"I know, but just promise me that."

"Uh… okay. I promise, Max."

"Oh, and one more thing. You know where you met me earlier. In the stairwell?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you be there tomorrow, but hidden?"

"Max…"

"Please, Victoria. It's important. You need to be in the stairwell tomorrow, just after the start of Mr Jefferson's class."

"You mean, I have to miss class?"

"Just the first few minutes, Victoria." She smiled. "I'm sure he won't mind you being a couple of minutes late. Just be there, and stay out of sight."

"Why?"

"I… I can't say now. It'll all become clear tomorrow, okay?"

"Um, okay Max," said Victoria, clearly having no idea what Max was talking about.

"Good." Max got up and sat at her desk. The scratching of her pen on paper was the only sound that could be heard for several minutes, but eventually she folded up the piece of paper and slid it inside an envelope, sealing it inside. She wrote '9pm or after' on the envelope and handed it to Victoria.

"Why?" asked the blonde girl.

"So you'll trust me and believe me," said Max. "But it will have no impact or truth at all if you open it before nine."

"Max, I won't pretend I have the first clue what you're talking about, but I'll go along with it, because I don't believe you'd lie to me. Not now," she said, pocketing the envelope and getting up off the bed. "Oh, I did that research you suggested, Max. Covering your mirror and all that."

"Already? I'm impressed. But don't talk to me now. We'll talk about it tomorrow night when you come over."

"You'll be okay?"

Max nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine, Victoria. And thanks. This was… unexpected." She hugged Victoria quickly, then stepped back.

"I'm not a bad person, Max," said Victoria, her hand on the doorknob.

"I know."

"I'm glad I had the chance to prove it. I'll see you tomorrow, Max."

"Yes. You will."

Victoria closed the door behind her and slipped into her own room. She sat on her couch, looking hard at the envelope that Max had given her. The urge to open it there and then was almost overwhelming, but she'd promised Max. Instead, she placed it carefully on her desk and prepared herself for bed, all the while thinking about the girl in the room opposite, her blue-haired friend, and Nathan and his temper. These thoughts consumed her completely as she slid into bed and sleep quickly overtook her.


	9. 08 Morning Shower

_Bzzt! Bzzt! Bzzt!_

The insistent buzzing of her phone roused Max from her deep slumber. She groaned and opened her eyes, letting the light in. It took a few seconds, but her memories came flooding back and her mind fixate on one thing.

 _Chloe!_

Her phone had been buzzing; was Chloe trying to get in touch? She sat bolt upright in bed, throwing the covers off and reaching for her phone. With a fumbling hand, she unlocked it, her heart sinking as she saw it was just the regular alarm. There was just one text from, of all people, Victoria.

 _[VICTORIA]: Thank you for trusting me last night, Max. It actually means more to me than you know. I won't betray that trust. Keep the faith. She will apologise._

 _Yeah right. You were wrong, Victoria._

She sat, looking at her phone for a few minutes, her thoughts wandering.

 _Should I contact her? Victoria said she'd apologise to me, but should I apologise to her first? I mean, is she right to hate me? I only wanted to make sure things went the same way as last week. Is that actually manipulating her? I suppose it is, really. Maybe she feels like all this was fake. But it wasn't! I mean, I'm only trying to ensure we get to where we were last week. Is that so wrong? I'm not fake, I just love her. I love her. I. Love. Chloe. Is that so hard to get around?_

It should be simple. It all seemed so simple.

 _But it's not, is it? This is a different Chloe than the one I loved last week. Last week, she went through a series of events. Well, she and I did, but in trying to ensure she went through the same series of events, I've changed everything irrevocably. In fact, I changed everything before she met me. By being alone in the parking lot, things started off differently. Man, this is complicated. She looks the same, but she's not the same. She's different. But how different? I need to be really careful what I do this week, don't I? I can't afford to totally fuck up the timeline. Although changing things with Victoria seems to have gone well. So far, at least. Perhaps I should apologise to Chloe, try and see if she can forgive me this as well?_

But apology or no apology, Max needed a shower. She slowly collected her shower things and headed off to the shower. As she opened the door, a familiar sight beheld her. There were a few people milling around in the corridor; the sort of thing she saw every morning. Music was blaring from further down the corridor, and she could see Juliet and Brooke giggling over something. Opposite, Courtney was knocking at Victoria's door. It opened a crack and Victoria peered out.

"Courtney, you have the papers?"

"Uh, not yet Victoria. I just came to see…"

"Seriously? You know I need them before tonight. They need to be handed in tomorrow morning, and I can't hand them in like that. I need to put my own personal touch on it. _I need them now!_ Ok sweetie?"

"Yes, of course, Victoria. I'll get the tests and papers to you as soon as I can."

"Then what are you still doing here?"

She shut the door and Courtney ran down the corridor and into her room. As she passed Dana's room, Max saw someone poke his head out of the room and look the corridor up and down.

 _Trevor. Trying not to be seen. Epic fail._

A little further down the corridor, Alyssa was leaning up against the wall, texting on her phone, something she spent a lot of time doing. In fact, she spent far more time on her phone talking to people than she did talking to people face-to-face.

"Alyssa, hi!" said Max, approaching her.

"Oh, morning Max," replied the purple-haired girl.

"Alyssa, would you mind for a second, I just want to read that poster."

"Uh, ok, Max, if it makes you happy."

As Alyssa moved, a toilet roll flew out of the toilet opposite and hit the poster board, exactly where Alyssa's head was before she'd moved. Alyssa turned and looked at Max thoughtfully. "Thanks Max. That was quick thinking. I'll catch you later, ok?"

"Sure thing, Alyssa. Take care," said Max, heading off into the shower. A little further down the corridor stood Brooke and Juliet, giggling and watching Kate's video on Juliet's phone, but Max didn't have the energy to confront them. She just headed sadly into the shower. She pushed the door open and the sound of running water could be heard from behind one of the shower cubicles. And, standing by one of the sinks, just where she was yesterday, was…

"Kate." At the sound of Max's voice, Kate turned, and Max was saddened further to see her friend, not the happy vibrant friend she'd seen in the hospital, but the friends back down in the depths of despair. Kate looked, in a word, awful. Puffy bags under her eyes, lips cracked and dry, shoulders haunched over, her general demeanour was more slouch than sprightly. But more worryingly, there was no life in her eyes. Nothing. They may as well have been made of glass.

 _Don't worry, Kate, I'm here for you this time._

"Hi Max," she said, her voice wooden and lifeless. Max joined her at the sink, brushing her teeth.

"Morning Kate," said Max. They continued to brush their teeth in silence, before Kate turned to Max.

"Max, thank you for standing up for me yesterday with Mr Madsen."

"It's okay, Kate. I kinda know him. He's got a good heart, but sometimes he gets the wrong idea and follows it blindly. I don't think he'll bother you again."

"That's kind of you to say that, Max. I don't know him like you do, though, and he scares me sometimes."

"I know, he can be very intense, but his bark is far worse than his bite."

"Max, are you okay?"

"You're asking _me_ that, Kate?"

"Well, you do look a little down, Max." Kate turned to Max and cupped her cheek with her hand. "I heard you last night."

"Ah. Yeah. I… I was a little upset last night."

"You want to talk about it?"

 _Bless you Kate. Even in amongst all your troubles, you still try and help your friends._

Max smiled wanly. "I will if you will."

"What do you mean?"

"Come on, Kate," said Max. "Look at you. Please, you're my dear friend and I'm officially worried about you. I've hardly seen you since the weekend. You can be there for me if you let me be there for you, too."

Kate looked at Max, as if checking for sincerity, then eventually nodded.

"Good," said Max. "I'll be around once I'm done here, okay?"

"Sure," said Kate, then suddenly remember, "oh, and could you bring me back my copy of 'The October Country' please? I need to take some notes from it."

"Sure. I'll bring it along in a bit." Max took her leave and entered one of the two free shower cubicles, pulling the curtain closed behind her and taking a moment to arrange it so that it covered the whole cubicle. There was definitely a trick to making sure nobody had a free peek through the gaps. Once she was satisfied, she undressed, turned on the shower and stood underneath, letting the hot water cascade down her face and body. Usually, she thoroughly enjoyed the sensation, but this morning everything was dulled by the memory of Chloe.

 _Fuck you, Max! You're nothing but a manipulative cow!_

She held her face up high, trying to wash her troubles away. It wasn't working.

 _How much of this is real? You fake fuck, Max! Look at you, just manipulating the fuck outta me and my emotions! Fuck you!_

Washing her body down felt like a chore. She scrubbed hard with the sponge, trying to rid herself of her emotions. Tears began to fall and mingle with the soap, which irritated her eyes and made her cry even more.

 _Chloe, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen. I just want you to love me the way you did at the end of last week. Is that so much to ask?_

She totally missed the door opening, coming back to reality and rubbing the soap out of her eyes as she heard Taylor's voice.

"Well, hello there, Katie-pie!" When there was no answer, Taylor continued. "How are you today, Kate? We've not seen that much of you recently. We thought you'd be out celebrating your new celebrity status!" She giggled.

 _Is Victoria with her?_

"Hi Kate."

 _Ah, there she is. But Taylor's taking the lead, isn't she? That's different._

Max peeked through one of the gaps in the curtains. Victoria was there, wearing her signature floral blouse and deep red cashmere top and a smart skirt, but unlike last week, she was hanging back, looking decidedly uneasy. In front of her was Taylor, wearing her usual cut-off short shorts. She was right in Kate's face.

"You see, we thought perhaps you've been concentrating on your homework," she said, circling around Kate and ending up on her other side. "But then, that video of you at the party, we don't remember that being homework. I mean, like, unless you're taking _private_ lessons, eh, Victoria?"

"Yeah, private," said Victoria. There was something about her voice, she almost sounded like she wasn't enjoying this conversation at all.

 _Victoria?_

"That wasn't me, Taylor," said Kate, "and you know it."

"Funny. It sure _looked_ like you. Unless you have an evil twin." Taylor laughed, but Max noted that Victoria didn't join in. "Victoria?"

"Yeah," said Victoria, her voice equally lifeless, but Taylor seemed totally oblivious, and turned back to Kate.

"Oh my god, Kate," said Taylor, "you can't be all shy on us now that you're a celebrity. Sorry, a _minor_ celebrity, I should say," she continued, with a sideways glance at Victoria. "I mean, like, you're an internet sensation now! We think it's totally awesome you set a new tongue record on video. My follower count has almost doubled overnight! I mean, like, people are watching it, Kate." Max's heart sank at hearing these words. Even if Victoria's heart wasn't in it, it seemed that Taylor was more than eager to pick up the baton.

"You're going to be sorry someday," said Kate, her voice cracking. She quickly gathered up her things and ran out of the bathroom, leaving Taylor and Victoria alone. Taylor looked after Kate and giggled.

"Sorry? Well, I'm, like, totally scared now!" she said. "I'm sure she had fun, didn't she?"

"Yeah," said Victoria. "Looked like it." She was looking really uneasy now. "Perhaps we should just go."

"Yeah, you're right. Wait," said Taylor, "can I borrow your lipstick for a moment?" Victoria nodded and reached into her bag. Taylor quickly uncapped it and wrote on the mirror. "May as well up my follower count more." She looked at Victoria as she handed back the lipstick. "I really don't get why you pulled the video down." Victoria shrugged.

"It served its purpose," she said. "No need for it to be up any more."

"Nah," said Taylor. "It's a good thing I made a copy. Since you deleted it, my follower count has rocketed. Come on," she said, and left the bathroom. Victoria looked dubiously at the mirror for a few seconds, then shook her head and left the bathroom as well.

 _So, Victoria did delete Kate's video, but it didn't solve anything. Oh well, thanks for trying, at least, Victoria. There's hope for you yet._

Max finished up in the shower and dressed. On her way out, she noticed the writing on the mirror. She already knew what it said.

 _.com_

Immediately, she rubbed it off, frowning as her hand became greasy with the red lipstick. Without thinking, she turned on the tap to wash her hand, only to elicit angry comments from the girl in the shower cubicle behind her.

"Water! Seriously!"

 _Shit, the water. I forgot, again? Come on, Max. Sort yourself out._

"Uh, sorry! Forgot!"

"Well don't 'forget' again. Thank you _so_ much!"

Max chided herself as she left the shower room.

 _Come on, Max. Sort yourself out. Focus. You need to remember these sort of things. How the fuck are you and Chloe going to sort out Arcadia if you can't even remember the little things? That's if she ever wants to talk to you again. Note to self. Journal. Get it sorted._

Juliet had vanished, no doubt into Dana's room. The door was closed, and Max guessed that Dana was dishing the dirt on her night with Trevor. Brooke, however, was still standing outside her room, looking intently at her phone. Something about her stance began boiling Max's blood and, even in her emotional state, or perhaps because of her emotional state, she decided to tackle Brooke there and then. She approached the Asian girl, who looked up and quickly swiped something off her phone.

 _Kate's video, no doubt._

"Morning, Max," she said, smirking.

"Hi Brooke," said Max. "Were you just watching the video of Kate?"

"What's it to you?"

"Well, Kate's my friend. I thought she was your friend, too. You know, that's a video of Kate under the influence of something."

"Yeah, alcohol can do that to you."

Max sighed. "No, Brooke. You know Kate, do you really think she'd go to a Vortex Club Party and get wasted. On purpose?"

Brooke nodded to her phone. "Last week, I'd have said no, but the evidence is right there in front of you. She did. It is _obviously_ her. And now she has to deal with the consequences. A bit like you, I guess." Brooke was definitely being smug about something. Had Warren already asked her to the drive-in?

"What's that supposed to mean?" Even though Max's brain was still shouting 'Chloe' at her constantly, she felt her heckles rise at Brooke's comment.

"Well, if you haven't realised, you've blown your one chance with Warren," she said, smirking again. "He asked me to the drive-in with him, and I said yes."

"That's great!" said Max. "I'm happy for the two of you."

"Oh yeah, of course you are," said Brooke, sarcastically. "After your little tête-à-tête yesterday in the parking lot, he came running to me." She smiled again at Max, a smug grin. "I'm _so_ sorry, Max, but he's taken now. So you keep your grubby little paws off him. Am I clear?"

"Brooke? Seriously, what's got into you?" Max shook her head at the other girl's attitude. "I don't _want_ to go out with Warren. I've _never_ wanted to go out with him. All I told him yesterday was that he was a nice guy, and a good friend, but that I felt uncomfortable having to always turn him down."

"I'll be nobody's second choice," she said, completely ignoring the accuracy of her comment. "So you've lost him as a friend, too. Stay away from him, Maxine. I've told him to stay away from you, too."

"You've… what? Brooke, you can't do that!"

"Oh, but I can! And I have," she said, standing up from the wall and turning away from Max. "So just remember it, okay? I don't want him anywhere near you." She began to walk back to her room, but Max stopped her.

"Brooke, what's up with you? I don't want to go out with him. I've never wanted that. I don't even want a boyfriend! Why are you being like this to me? I'm no threat to you!"

"No, you're not," hissed Brooke, turning back to Max, "that much is obvious. Honestly I don't know what he sees in you, anyway. But he does. See something in you, I mean. Whenever he's around you, he gets… I just don't want his head turned. Whether you're interested or not, he is. Get it?"

Max had had enough. "Brooke," she said. "I don't have a problem with you, but you seem to have one with me. I don't accept you telling me who and who I can't be friends with. Now, if you're so jealous, possessive and untrusting that you won't allow your boyfriend to stay friends with a girl, and especially a girl who has absolutely no interest in him beyond friendship, then you have some serious issues that I can't help you with." She turned to go, but Brooke had one final comment.

"I don't care what you think, or what bullshit you spout, Max. Just stay away from my boyfriend. Or else." She stalked back into her room, slamming the door behind her. The surge of adrenaline faded, and the single word made its way unbidden to the forefront of her mind.

 _Chloe._

Her fury quickly subsided, replaced by the familiar feeling of despondence.

 _Kate needs her book, and she needs a friend. To be honest, I could do with one, too._

Dana's door was still closed, as was Kate's. She reached her door and made to open it, but paused with her hand on the doorknob. She could hear music coming from inside.

 _I didn't leave the stereo on, did I?_

 _Careless, Max, careless. You really need to focus more._

Shaking her head at her own apparent forgetfulness, she turned the handle and entered her room. Two steps in, she stopped, dropping her shower things in shock.

She wasn't alone.

"Hi Max!"


	10. 09 Conversations with friends

"Chloe?" Max couldn't believe her eyes. The blue-haired punk was sat on Max's bed, grinning madly at her friend's reaction. " _Chloe!_ " Max rushed over to Chloe, throwing her arms around her, nearly knocking the punk over.

"Whoa there, Maxaroni!" Chloe laughed, hugging the smaller girl back tightly, noticing that her shoulders had begun trembling. She pulled back slightly, and her face fell at the sight of tears streaming down Max's cheeks. She quickly rose, closed the door and found a tissue, sitting back down and dabbing at Max's eyes. "Ssh, Max, I'm sorry, okay?" she said. "Please, don't cry." She put her arms back around her friend and gently rocked her back and forth, letting Max sob quietly in her arms. Eventually, Max calmed down enough to pull back and look at Chloe with her red, streaming eyes.

"You… _shit_!" She pounded on Chloe's chest with her fists, surprising the punk with her vehemence. "Do you have _any_ idea what I went through last night, thinking you hated me?" Max started crying again. "I even had Victoria in here, wondering what all the screaming was about! And now you just sit there saying 'Hi Max' as if nothing happened? Really?"

"Max, I'm so sorry," whispered Chloe, her own eyes tearing up, "please don't be mad at me. I just didn't know how to handle what you told me last night and I…" she hesitated. "I hella overreacted. But I don't hate you, Max. I can't hate you. You're my best friend in the whole world." She rocked Max back and forth again, and the smaller girl slowly calmed down.

"Chloe, I had such a shit night last night," she said, nuzzling into Chloe's shoulder, breathing in her friend's scent. "I thought you hated me. I thought I'd fucked everything up. I'm sorry, Chloe. I just wanted you to… I wanted us to be friends, like we were last week."

"Yeah, see, you're gonna have to explain a few things to me about that," said Chloe. "I mean, last week I was hella mad at you for coming back to Arcadia without letting me know you were here. But last week for you was… well, I'm not entirely sure. Max, you have to tell me."

"I will…" Max stopped. Chloe was looking at the floor rather awkwardly, refusing to meet her gaze. She recognised that look. "Chloe, what have you done?"

"Okay, Max, you've gotta promise me you won't be mad."

"Chloe? How can I promise that? You've all but told me you've done something that's gonna make me _really_ mad at you." Max sighed. "Just tell me."

"Okay, well… I kinda took a peek at your journal."

"You _what?_ Chloe, you know that…"

"I know, Max, but I was scared, okay?" said Chloe, throwing her hands in the air. "I thought I'd fucked everything up as well, okay? While I waited, I thought perhaps I could find out whether you hated me or not, but instead I found the bit about yesterday." She paused. "It didn't really go to plan, did it?" Max shook her head sadly. "Warren in the parking lot? I didn't see anyone else, you were alone with Nathan when I found you."

"Yeah. Last week we were talking by his car when Nathan showed up, and he took the hit for me, you'd appear then you appeared and we reconnected in the truck on the way back to yours. But I fucked things up with him, too, and he ran off, leaving me with Nathan."

"He left you with that piece of shit Prescott?" Chloe's face began to turn red as her temper rose, but Max forestalled it.

"No, Chloe," said Max, holding up her hands, "he ran off _before_ Nathan appeared. He never saw Nathan." Chloe noisily exhaled, calming down and shaking her head.

"Man, this is complicated as shit," said Chloe. "Talk to me over breakfast? You've got a free period first, right? I vote Two Whales. Joyce would love to see you."

"I…"

"You know already, right? Did we do this last week?" said Chloe, but this time there was a smirk in her eyes. Max nodded shyly. "Damn, you're gonna have to tell me what I can and can't know, as well." She sighed. "Can I trust you, Max? I mean, you're gonna be keeping a lot from me, aren't you?"

"I'll explain why in the diner," said Max, taking Chloe's hand, "and I'd die before I let anything happen to you." She stood up. "Look, there's something I have to do before I come to breakfast with you, okay? Can you wait here for a few more minutes?"

"Uh, sure, Max."

"And please don't read my journal." She sighed. "It's a good thing I didn't write anything else in there last night. But I do need to write in there soon, about what I need to remember for today."

"You _are_ manipulating me, Max." Chloe sounded subdued.

"A bit," confessed Max, "but I'll explain everything I can later on, okay?" Chloe nodded, and Max grinned. "Okay, I have to change, so turn around, Chloe. No peeking!"

"Aww, man!" Chloe faux-complained, but she obediently turned and faced the wall while Max changed into her jeans and t-shirt. "So, Bitchtoria came to see you?"

"Yeah. I know you and her didn't exactly get on last year…"

"… something of an understatement," said Chloe.

"… but… oh, I can tell you this, Chloe. I really connected with her last week and I think we could be friends again this week. Underneath all the bitchy exterior, she's really very insecure and a lovely person. I guess you'll just have to… ow!" she said, hopping around while she tried to get into her jeans, and just managing to hop into her desk. "Just have to trust me on this. She heard I was upset and she actually came into see if she could help. You know," she said, a little breathlessly, "she was right. I was really upset last night, and she said that she'd bet money you'd be in contact this morning, and that you didn't hate me. She was right."

"Well, I'm glad you're making so many friends," said Chloe, sounding a little bitterer than she wanted to.

"Chloe, you're my best friend, and nobody will ever replace you," said Max. "Anyway, you ended up last week with more than me as friends."

"What… you're telling me I made another friend?"

"You did."

"Who?"

Max smiled, knowing Chloe couldn't see her. "That would be telling." While Chloe's back was turned, she slipped a piece of paper into Chloe's jacket pocket.

"Max!"

"No way, Chloe. I can't tell you, otherwise things might not happen. This isn't something I have any control over, nor would I want to manipulate it. That part is totally up to you. And don't grump about it," she continued, knowing that Chloe would be sticking her tongue out at her. "Okay, you can look again," she said, pulling her hoodie over her head, and Chloe turned back around. "Can you give Lisa some water while I'm out, please?" she said, picking up Kate's book (but remembering to move the soda can first) and walking to the door. "I won't be too long."

"Max…"

"Chloe, please don't say anything." Max knelt down in front of Chloe. "I don't have many friends here. In fact, I think I have a total of two, maybe a third soon. You are my best friend, but Kate is my only other dear friend in Arcadia, and she's having a _really_ hard time at the moment. About as hard as it gets, and it's only going to get worse. I need to go see her now, and whatever we do, I absolutely _have_ to be back here for five to eleven. There's can be no missing that, okay? It could be a matter of life and…" She realised and stopped herself in time, but Chloe had heard.

"… death? Shit Max, that's serious." She nodded. "We'll be back here for five to eleven. Promise."

"Thanks Chloe," said Max, walking to the door. "You'll be okay?"

"Yeah, go see Kate," said Chloe. "Oh, one thing first."

"What?"

"Who's Lisa?"

Max laughed. "My plant." She nodded over at her desk. "I keep forgetting to give her the water she needs."

Chloe giggled. "Lisa? You named your plant Lisa?"

"Ssh!"

"Lisa! Oh Li-sa!" Chloe laughed long and hard, drumming her heels on the floor as Max left the room, her voice echoing down the corridor.

Max paused outside Kate's door, remembering to wipe off the 'Will Bang 4 God' comment on her board and replace it with a drawing of a cute bunny. She knocked on the door and patiently waited for Kate to call her inside.

"Max, is that you?"

"Yeah."

"Come on in," she called. Max remembered the way Kate's room had looked, but her heart still sank on entering her room. Instead of the bright colours and joy that had always emanated from inside (Kate's art had a fantastic childlike simplicity and quality that was both heart-warming and very effective), the room was shrouded in dark depression. The windows covered over, the room cold and stale, and the mirror covered with a towel. On the sofa, Max saw Kate's violin carelessly slung into its case, the instrument itself unplayed and sadly silent. Kate was sat at her desk, her head in her hands, still dressed in the same nightclothes Max had seen in the showers; her familiar plain white t-shirt and teal trousers. She looked up as Max entered, and nodded, before looking away.

Max moved the violin case carefully off the sofa, taking care to properly place the violin inside and strap it in before placing the case on the floor. Alice, Kate's white bunny, was snuffling around her cage, quiet and serene as always, although today Kate's mood certainly seemed to be having a detrimental effect on Alice, who seemed quite despondent.

"Hi Kate," said Max, gently. "I brought your book back."

"What did you think?"

"It's the first Bradbury I've read, since we studied Fahrenheit four-five-one in school, so that doesn't really count, to be honest. I don't think I really enjoyed any books we did in school, perhaps why I haven't read any of his other books. I wasn't expecting pure fantasy, but I found myself enjoying it, well, the parts I read." She looked at Kate. "I wouldn't have thought it was really your type of read, Kate."

"We all have our guilty pleasures, Max, don't we?"

"Totally."

Kate spun around in her seat to face Max. "You seem happier than you were earlier, Max. And… and last night."

Max smiled. "Yeah. I didn't have a good night, Kate. I thought my best friend hated me, but she apologised in the sweetest way possible this morning."

"Oh?"

"When I got back from the shower, she'd sneaked into my room and was waiting for me!"

Kate managed a small grin. "That's really cute, Max. Did you forgive her?" Max smiled back and nodded vigorously.

"Of course. How could I not?" She sighed. "She's such a special person, Kate. I mean, we were best friends when I used to live here, but we lost touch when I moved to Seattle. Well," she continued, "I lost touch. I didn't contact her for five years, and we ran into each other just yesterday."

"She sounds lovely."

"She is," nodded Max. "Perhaps you'd like to meet her at some point?"

"Perhaps, Max, but I don't think I'm up to anything new at the moment. It's hard enough just getting through the day as it is."

"Kate, I know you're going through a hard time at the moment," said Max. "Why don't you come over here," she said, patting the sofa next to her, "it's a little lonely over there, isn't it?"

"You have no idea, Max."

"Actually, I think I might have more of an idea than you think. Come on."

Max watched Kate stand slowly, like an old woman. She shuffled across the room and slumped on to the sofa next to Max, immediately placing her head in her hands again. Max said nothing. She knew she had to get Kate talking, but Kate had to start herself. They sat in silence for several minutes before Kate finally spoke.

"Max, are you my friend?"

"What sort of question is that, Kate? You are one of my dearest friends." Max took one of Kate's hands in her own and Kate smiled gratefully at Max. "You can trust me with absolutely anything, Kate, I mean that."

"Thanks, Max. It's good to know I still have one friend who cares."

"Kate, you have more than that…"

"No, I don't, Max. Just you now. But that's okay. They say in times of need, you find out who your true friends are. I'm grateful you haven't forsaken me. Although you might after what I have to tell you."

"I doubt that, Kate."

"Still, I need to talk to someone, I know that. I've tried talking to God, but he's not responding either at the moment. You're all I have left." A small sob escaped her lips and Max barely resisted the temptation to put her arms around her friend.

 _Wasn't the right move last week, not the right move now._

"I'm here, Kate. I promise I will listen to you, and I promise that I will keep anything you say in the strictest confidence." She paused. "Kate, I'm here for you."

"You've… you've seen the video."

"No, I haven't. I mean, I know of its existence, but I won't watch it. Why would I want to? If I want to see you, I'll knock your door."

"That's… unexpected. Actually that's quite warming, Max, thank you. But do you know what the video is?"

"I only know what I heard Victoria, uh, I mean, Taylor saying this morning. Why don't you tell me? Maybe I can help." Max silently chided herself.

 _Careful. You've got to get your facts right._

"You want the short or long version?"

"Kate, I want you to talk to me. I know you're hurting, and I want my friend back."

Kate nodded and looked down, playing with and twisting her hands around, before she drew a breath and spoke. When she did so, her voice was low and uncertain. "Max, have you ever been drunk?"

"Not really," said Max, thinking. "Um, there was this one time when Chloe and I were younger. Her parents had gone out and we found a bottle of red wine that we managed to open." She grimaced. "I was horribly sick afterwards. It was the last time I've ever had any alcohol. Actually, the only time. Why?"

"I… went to a Vortex Club party on Friday," said Kate.

"You went to… Kate, why on earth would you go there?"

"I don't know," said Kate, throwing her hands in the air, "Dana convinced me to come along with her. She said I'd enjoy it, and… I mean, I don't exactly have many friends around here, so I went along with her." She looked down, ashamed. "I wish I hadn't."

"What happened?"

"I don't know," confessed Kate, shaking her head. "Soon after I arrived, I was handed a glass of red wine. I only took one sip!" she insisted. "But I don't remember much after that."

"You were drunk?"

"I can't see what else it could be," said Kate. "Although, I mean, I take a sip of wine in church with communion but I don't end up drunk, or wasted, and I can certainly remember the rest of the service. Come to think of it, the wine in church was much nicer."

"How do you mean?" asked Max, already knowing the answer.

"It's sweeter. I remember in the party, the wine tasted a bit bitter and quite salty. It wasn't very nice."

"And you only took a sip…"

"Yes, you mean you don't believe me?"

"Kate," said Max, putting her hand on Kate's knee, "I believe you, I totally believe you. I'm just trying to get the facts straight in my head. See, I know I'm not exactly a connoisseur, but I do know that wine isn't supposed to be bitter or salty. And if you only took a sip, I think someone spiked your drink."

"What? You mean… it was done on purpose?"

"I'm afraid it certainly looks that way. Kate, I think you were drugged. It's the only explanation for what happened to you after just one sip."

"I was… drugged…" Kate seemed as if she was having real difficulty accepting the truth.

"There's this substance called GHB. It's tasteless, so you wouldn't know you'd drunk it, apart from a slightly bitter and salty aftertaste. It causes you to lose your memory, and takes away inhibitions. I think that's what happened to you, Kate. I'm so sorry."

"The video…"

"That's why you can't remember what you did, and it explains why you… well…"

"Why I kissed so many boys."

"Um, yeah," said Max, a little awkwardly. "Do you remember anything at all?"

"Just a couple of odd things. I remember not feeling well, I remember Nathan telling me he'd take me to the Emergency Room."

"You didn't… go with him. Kate?"

"I think so, although I don't really remember. I have a memory of a bright light, probably the hospital, but then I woke up outside my dorm. It was the following morning. It wasn't until later that I found out about the video." She turned to face Max. "You won't watch it, will you?"

"Kate," said Max, taking both Kate's hands. "I won't watch it. I don't want to, I don't need to, and I intend discouraging other people from watching it as well."

"Thanks, Max. Um, this drug…"

"GHB?"

"Yeah, that one. Um, how do you know about it?"

Max had to think quickly. "Um, there was a thing about it back in Seattle. Some guy was caught giving it to a number of girls in bars. It was known as the date-rape…" she stopped immediately, aghast at what she'd said.

"Date… rape…" repeated Kate, dully.

"I didn't mean…" said Max, swiftly trying to backpedal. "It was called that because that's what he was doing. Because they didn't remember they'd… Oh god, Kate, Nathan didn't…"

"Nathan?" Kate looked at Max. "You think that Nathan…"

"No, I just… you said Nathan took you out of the party, that's all," said Max, chiding herself again for revealing too much. "Kate, god, I'm so sorry this has happened to you."

"And to cap it all off, Victoria went and released the video onto the internet. As if I needed even more humiliation. Nobody else knows about the rest of it, they all think I got wasted, and with my beliefs on abstinence and whatnot…"

"Kate Marsh, you listen to me," said Max, authoritatively. "You have _nothing_ to be ashamed of. Nothing at all. What happened was not your fault, not your responsibility."

"Try explaining that to my aunt," said Kate, indicating a letter on her desk. Max retrieved it and read it with horror.

 _'Dear Katie._

 _No spirit or devil could have prepared me for what you have done in that videotape._

 _And like a Jezebel you released your harlot image before God's eye._

 _I will pray with my church for your soul to be saved from Eternal Hellfire._

 _Auntie Marsh'_

"Kate, that is… that's so harsh and unfair," said Max.

"My mother sent me an email saying pretty much the same thing," she said. "The church has seen the video, my mother's ashamed of me. Imagine that, Max, my own mother, ashamed of me."

"Kate, they obviously don't understand what's actually happened. You didn't tell them about…" Max trailed off.

"No, I've told nobody. But it doesn't matter, Max. They don't care about circumstances. They only care that it's happened, and that other people have seen it. Like other people in the church. Max, I could be kicked out of my own church!"

"Oh Kate, I'm so sorry," said Max. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Well…" said Kate, "you could give me some advice. If I ask you something, will you answer honestly?"

"Kate, I'm hurt you'd even have to ask me that," said Max. "Of course I'll answer honestly."

"If what you say is right, and I was drugged by… well, by Nathan, if that's true, then he's… well, it's illegal, right? So, I should go to the police with this?"

The question wasn't an unexpected one, and Max had had enough time to think about her answer. The problem was, she couldn't think of anything different to say, apart from the honest truth.

"I'm sorry, Kate, but I don't think it would do any good."

"Max?"

"Look, the Prescotts own the police. I've already fallen foul of him. I caught him in the bathroom yesterday with a gun. I told Wells, but nothing's happened. Nathan's father obviously got involved, and all Wells did was tell my parents that I've been making false accusations." Max paused. "Anywhere else, I'd take you down the station myself, but here? No, it won't do any good. I'm sorry Kate, I know it's not what you want to hear."

"So that's your advice. Just keep quiet, stay here and let the bullies carry on humiliating me, is that right Max?"

"No, that's not what I…"

"So you'll be fine, of course. Your friend has come back to you," said Kate, obviously getting worked up, "so you don't need to worry about me. Just let me get back to my life."

"Kate…"

"No, it's okay, Max. You've made your feelings perfectly clear. I think you should go, now."

"Kate…"

"Thanks for bringing back my book, Max." Kate rose and shuffled slowly back to her desk, where she sat, turning her back on Max, who sadly got up from the bed.

"Kate, please…"

"Max, just please go," said Kate, her voice starting to crack once more. Max nodded silently and, head bowed, left Kate's room, closing the door behind her and crossing the corridor to her own room, where Chloe was waiting for her. She could see immediately that Max wasn't happy.

"Max?" she said, but Max just shook her head. "It didn't go to plan?" Max shook her head again.

"Let's just get out of here, please, Chloe," she said. "Take me to the diner, please."

"Sure, kid," said Chloe, pulling Max to her in a tight embrace. "Whatever you say."


	11. 10 Two Whales

The truck pulled up to the diner and parked. At a glance from Max, she reversed out and parked again, this time between the white lines. She turned off the engine and looked at Max.

"You go on in. Get the orders in. I just need to light up. I'll be along in a minute." Max nodded, slipped out of the truck and headed into the diner. As she pushed the door open, she was hit by a fantastic odour of bacon, eggs, and the other familiar scents she recognised from her childhood. She found her booth and sat down, looking out of the window and waiting for…

"Maxine Caulfield, as I live and breathe!"

She looked around and smiled. "Hi Joyce." Joyce looked her critically, up and down.

"Well, aren't you the sight for sore eyes," she said, her voice in her familiar easy drawl, her smile warm and genuine. "Look at you, Maxine, the baby girl I knew all grown up into a beautiful woman." She pulled Max up onto her feet and into a warm embrace. "It's been far too long, Maxine."

"Max, never Maxine," muttered Max, automatically.

"I know, hon, but I'm sure you'll give an old woman a break," said Joyce, grinning, letting Max sit down again.

"Old? Joyce, you look as pretty as the last time I saw you," said Max, her heart swelling with her love for what was ostensibly her second mother.

"Nice, kid, nice," said Joyce. "You meeting Chloe?"

"She's outside in the truck, she'll be along in a minute or two."

"Smoking? I hope it's just regular cigarettes," said Joyce, frowning. "Now that you're back, Max, I hope you'll be a good influence on her."

"I intend to, Joyce," said Max, nodding. Her expression dropped for a second. "Joyce, I'm so sorry about William. I never really got the chance to tell you, what with the move and everything."

"It's okay hon," said Joyce, gazing into the distance past Max. "It wasn't your fault…"

 _Yeah, like you don't know the half of it._

"… but I must say I was surprised you never contacted Chloe after you moved. I mean, the two of you were thick as…"

"… pirates?"

Joyce laughed easily. "Right on, hon. Pirates. I could never separate you. I'd never seen two people so… well, dependant on each other. What happened? If you don't mind my asking?"

Max sighed and shook her head. "I don't know I have a suitable answer, Joyce. The move affected me greatly. I missed Chloe so much. I guess I didn't really know how to handle it, you know?"

"It's okay, hon. You're back now, that's the most important thing. Did you tell her why?"

"Yeah. We had 'the talk' yesterday." Max smiled. "Things are cool now."

"Good, hon. Now, what'll it be?"

 _Last week I had a bacon omelette. Should I try something different this time? It couldn't change anything, could it?_

"I haven't had a good Belgian waffle in five years, Joyce," giggled Max. "I hope you still remember how to cook 'em."

"I sure do, hon. And Chloe?"

"Same."

"Two waffles on the way. And coffee?"

"Please." As Joyce vanished back into the kitchen, Max set her journal on the table and sucked on the end of her pen for a minute, thinking.

 _Well, no point now mentioning anything earlier on, so we go from here on out. I guess the first thing is that Chloe wanted proof of my rewind power. I did that by telling her what was in her pockets, then 'predicting'' the future. Let's see. Her pockets._

 _Robot panda key ring, 7 cigarettes, 86 cents in change, and a parking ticket, issued at 10:34am on the 21_ _st_ _September._

 _Then, the future. Trucker drops his mug, the policeman in the car park charges off without Officer Berry. Then Justin and Trevor start one up, and the jukebox pitches a hissy fit when a cockroach jumps on it._

 _After that, Chloe takes me to American Rust, where we re-connect over Rachel. We shoot some bottles, and Frank turned up and tried to strong-arm Chloe as she owes him money. We got out of there and played on the railway tracks for a while, until I had another vision and Chloe got stuck. I had to rewind several times to prevent her being run over by a train. Have to prevent that this time around._

 _Then we get back to Blackwell and I stop Kate from jumping off the roof of the dorms._

 _Anything else, Max? Um, I guess I helped Warren with his science experiment just before Jefferson's class, although Brooke was watching. I saw Jefferson refuse to help Kate, and after she didn't jump, I was called into the principal's office and suspended, while Nathan got off scott-free._

 _Think that about does it._

She looked up as a shadow fell over her. It was Joyce, bringing the coffee. Max inhaled, the gorgeous scent of freshly-ground and brewed coffee filling her nostrils.

"Joyce that smells gorgeous!" she said, and the older woman smiled, turning her head.

"And there comes trouble," said Joyce, smiling. "Morning, darlin'."

Chloe bounced up to the booth and jumped into the seat feet first. "Mom and Max, together again," she said, grinning. "Morning Mom."

"Max already ordered for you, hon," said Joyce. "Are you actually going to pay today?"

 _I remember this._

"No, I'm treating Chloe this morning," said Max.

"Yeah, in honour of us getting back together," said Chloe, "and taking over the world! Arrr!" Max giggled and Joyce smiled.

"Breakfast will be a few minutes," she said. "Behave yourselves." Chloe grinned and tried to look as innocent as possible, which only resulted in setting Max into hoots of laughter. Joyce shook her head, walking back to the kitchen while Max tried to control her breathing. After a few moments, Chloe placed both her hands on the table and leaned over towards Max.

"So," she said.

"So."

"You know the future."

"Sort of," said Max.

"Explain."

"Um," started Max, "well, let's be clear about this. I don't know the future in the traditional sense." She twisted her hands around. "How can I put it? Like, I don't know what the lottery numbers are going to be, or stuff like that."

"Pity," grumbled Chloe.

"But I do know _some_ things. I've lived this week once already, last week, so there are certain things I know will happen. Like, I knew you would be at the parking lot yesterday. I knew that David would come home when he did, and last week he was angry at you and me for the weed, so I was able to prevent that from happening again. But I can't affect free will, so while I know what happened here last week, I don't know if it will happen again."

"Here? You mean in the diner?"

"Yeah."

"We were here last week? And I brought you here this morning? That is _so cool_!" Chloe's grin widened further at the revelation.

"Actually, last week you didn't come and see me first. We met here."

"So, what happened here last week?"

"You asked me to prove to you that I could rewind time. I did so, and you believed me. I mean, you believed me the previous evening, but I actually proved it. Here. In this seat."

"How?"

"Nuh-uh. I can't tell you that, Chloe."

"Why?"

"Because I want you to try and guess."

"What?"

Max leaned in close. "Look, I don't know what I can change and what I can't. I know how I proved this last week, but I'll affect you if I tell you. Last week, I think you suggested a way I could prove my powers to you. So, do it again."

 _Actually, I can't remember. Did I suggest the pockets, or did she? Never mind._

Chloe grinned. "This is insane."

"I know."

"Um, okay. What would I have said?" Chloe pursed her lips in thought as Joyce brought them their breakfasts.

"Thanks, Joyce," said Max, a sentiment echoed by Chloe. Max tucked in. It was just as delicious as she remembered.

"So, how is it?" asked Chloe, taking a bite.

"Mmhn sho tashtee," said Max, her face full of waffle. The expression on her face set Chloe off and Max had to hurriedly swallow as she'd begun laughing as well. They ate in silence for a few moments before Chloe banged her fist on the table, startling Max and a few others in the diner as well.

"Got it!" she said. "Tell me what's in my pockets. Amiright?" The grin on Max's face was proof enough. "Seriously? That's what you did last week?" Chloe began laughing, drumming her feet on the floor. "This is _unbelievable_. So tell me."

"Easy. You have, um, five things in your pockets."

"Ha! Wrong. Only four. Loo-hoo-ser-her!"

"Yeah right, Ace Ventura. Try a harder one next time. So humour me. You have a keychain for your truck that looks like a robot panda. You have seven cigarettes in an unbranded cigarette packet, eight-six cents in change, and a parking ticket issued at ten thirty-four on the morning of my eighteenth birthday."

Chloe emptied her pockets on the table, looking with increased awe as everything Max described was correct. "Not bad, Maxi, not bad, but told you, only four things," she said, with a smirk of triumph.

"Yeah, just take a look in your jacket pocket," said Max, grinning. Chloe looked confused, searching her jacket pockets and coming up with the folded piece of paper.

"Um, Max? What the…"

"Read it," said Max, trying to suppress her grin. Chloe unfolded the note, her jaw dropping slowly open as she read the contents.

 _Dear Chloe._

 _At some point this morning, you will ask me what's in your pockets. I will reply that, as well as this note, you have a robot panda keychain, 86 cents, 7 cigarettes and a parking ticket, issued at 10:34am on the 21_ _st_ _September._

 _Soon, a trucker will drop his mug. Joyce will berate him for it, but that then puts in motion a series of events that I remember clearly from last week. When you hear the mug break and Joyce yelling at him, Office Berry over there will receive an emergency call on his radio. He'll complain because he's enjoying his breakfast, but his partner in the car outside will shoot off without waiting for him. Then, Justin and Trevor will start arguing, and Joyce breaks it up. Finally, the jukebox will pitch a hissy fit when a cockroach climbs the wall and jumps onto it._

 _Max._

"Max," said Chloe, very slowly. "When did you…"

"This morning, when you had your back turned and I was changing," said Max, smiling widely. "So. Five."

Chloe shook her head in bewilderment. "Five. Max, how could you…"

"Because I've been here before, Chloe. Last week we sat here, talking about the same thing. That's all I know. I know the things that happened, will happen, that I'm a part of. And I know you're frustrated that I can't tell you everything, Chloe, but you have to trust me that I'm not just holding back on you. I want to tell you everything, but I know that things might not work out properly if you know in advance."

"Max, how do you know they worked out properly last week? Who's to say that last week was what should have happened? I'm not arguing with you, or trying to be bitchy, but who decided you get to play God?"

"I don't know, Chloe, whoever gave me these powers, I guess." Max looked downcast. "There's a reason that I came back, there's something that I need to happen this week. Please don't ask me what it is, but I absolutely need it to happen. It's the reason I'm doing all this. And I'm afraid that if a screw things up, it won't happen."

"Can you give me an example of what you mean?"

"Um." Max thought. "The only thing so far is the conversation that we had in your truck yesterday."

"We didn't have a conversation in my truck, Max."

"I know! We were supposed to. You were supposed to turn up in the parking lot and rescue me from Nathan…"

"… which I did."

"Yes, but I wasn't supposed to get hurt. As I said this morning, Warren was supposed to take the hit for me, then in the truck you and I had a conversation where we began to reconnect."

"Didn't we do that in the house?"

"Yes, we did, but we were supposed to…"

"… I know what you think we were supposed to do, Max," said Chloe, gently, "but not everything is going to turn out the same way, is it? But look, we had the conversation a bit later, and no harm's done."

"But Chloe, it has," said Max. "I annoyed Warren so he left, leaving me alone with Nathan. In doing so, he didn't become my white knight and ask me out this morning."

"He asked you out?"

"Yeah, but last week I turned him down. See, he asked Brooke out, and she's so possessive and jealous she won't allow him to be friends with me anymore. So anything that may or may not require his help this week now might no longer be an option."

"Max…"

"I know, this is hella complicated, Chloe, and it's beginning to affect me," said Max, her eyes welling up. "And when, last night, you flipped on me…"

"… I said I was sorry, Max…"

"… I thought that everything I'd gone through was for nothing. Please, Chloe, you _have_ to trust me." She bit her bottom lip. "I can't do this without you."

"I _do_ trust you, Max, but you have to trust me as well." Chloe reached across the table to take Max's hands in her own. "I want to know what you went through for me last week, and I want to be there for you now. Max, you don't have to do this alone, okay?" Chloe stopped and looked at Max. "Wait a minute… Max, did you just say 'hella'?"

"I think I might have," said Max, smiling. "Your influence last week, I guess."

"Good to see you learned something useful," said Chloe, grinning but dropping into serious mode again just as quickly. "I mean it, Max, please let me in."

"Chloe, I know you mean well," said Max, "but I'm not sure. I know that…" she stopped speaking as the trucker by the counter dropped his mug. "Chloe," she hissed, "quick. Watch."

Chloe watched open-mouthed as Joyce began to berate the trucker. Next to him, Officer Berry began complaining about the call and Max pointed out the police car than screamed out of the parking lot. Then, Joyce stopped the argument between Justin and Trevor, and finally Max pointed out the cockroach that scampered across the floor, up the wall and jumped on to the jukebox, which suddenly turned itself on and off just as quickly. She shook her head and turned back to Max.

"That. Was. Fucking. Awesome," she said, her eyes wide. "Max, seriously, that gives me chills, dude." She jumped down and began salaaming wildly on the floor in from of a very embarrassed Max. "I pledge allegiance to my friend Max, and the power for which she stands…"

"Get up, Chloe," hissed Max, in between laughs. "You're making a scene. Again."

Chloe jumped up and hoisted herself back into her seat. She continued eating for a while before stabbing the last piece of waffle with her fork and waving it around in front of Max. "That was hella awesome, dude!"

"One is glad to be of service," said Max. She finished her coffee and stretched hard.

"Bicentennial Man!"

"Yup. Fifty points!"

"Refills?" asked Joyce, passing by with a full jug of coffee.

"No thanks, Joyce. That was even better than I remembered. Delicious, thanks."

"My pleasure, kiddo. Just take care of Chloe for me, won't you?"

"Yes ma'am!" Once Joyce was out of earshot, Max continued. "So, Mrs Hoida is still off sick so no English this morning. I just need to be back for quarter to eleven."

"I can live with that. So I get two and a half hours with you?" Chloe grinned. "Nice. And I know just the place to continue to go." She narrowed her eyes. "You already know where we're going, don't you?"

"Um, yeah," said Max.

"Where, then?"

"American Rust," she said, promptly, and Chloe choked her last swig of coffee. "Chills, Supermax, chills." She shook her head and promptly jumped up. "Ok, we can go on to the next stage, now."

"Chloe… is that… a Parappa reference?"

"Well done, Max," she smiled. "I guess that was a bit of a random one, so… one hundred points!"

"Yay me!" said Max, jumping into the air, one arm raised in triumph. On the way out, she took her phone out and looked at it for a moment.

"Problem?"

"No." Max shook her head. "I was expecting a call, that's all." She looked again. "Doesn't seem like it's going to happen. Maybe later." She put her phone back in her pocket. "Come on, let's go."


	12. 11 American Rust

The truck pulled up at the old, rusted gate and Chloe motioned Max to open the gate. She did so and Chloe pulled into the junkyard. Max closed the gate and jogged up to the truck. As Chloe climbed out, she put out her hand to stop the punk.

"Chloe, before we go in, can you leave the gun in the truck, please?"

"What?"

"David's gun. Please, don't take it with you. I know you wanted to shoot some bottles, but it's not a good plan. Not today, okay?"

"Max?" Chloe looked at Max, but she couldn't see anything except resolve, so she took the gun and put it back in the glove compartment. "I hope you know what you're doing," she said, grumbling.

"Trust me. You don't want to be anywhere near a gun."

"Okay, okay, you got me," she said. "So what do we do instead of shooting bottles?"

"Well," said Max, thinking, "you can show me around, tell me a little about Rachel, if you want." Chloe walked into the junkyard and took up a position on the bonnet of the same red junker she was on last week.

"I could do," she said, stretching out and lighting up a cigarette. "But I'm guessing you already know your way around."

"A bit," said Max.

"Okay, go look around a bit then," she said. "I'm going to stay here for a few minutes, okay?"

"Sure Chloe," said Max, knowing exactly where she'd go. She turned and walked off, winding around the piles of junk, passing a couple of green bottles that she couldn't help but seek out. Smiling, she made her way to the small hut that Chloe and Rachel had used as a hangout and once there, sat on the couch, leaning back and closing her eyes.

"Rachel, are you here?" she whispered, listening, but all was silent. After a moment she rose and re-wrote 'Max was here' underneath Chloe and Rachel's marks on the wall. She'd looked around here last time and pretty much knew what was here, but as she was walking out, a small rubbish bin caught her eye. It was in the one corner, and she didn't remember seeing it last week, so she walked over and peered inside. There was a crumpled up piece of paper and, as she smoothed it out, she let out an involuntary gasp.

 _A letter? From Rachel to Chloe? I didn't see this last week._

It was written in careless handwriting, in blue ink on a sheet of lined notepaper.

 _C._

 _You can tell how much I want you to read this letter since I've been dragging my ass to give it to you. Maybe I just want you to find it when I'm not around so we never have to talk about it. And I don't want you to hate me. Where to start?_

 _I met somebody recently who's so different from the lame Vortex Club snobs. I know you'll have a meltdown when I tell you and think he's gross, but I swear he's wise and unconventional. Kind of scary, not in a 'bad boy' way. He's just experienced some serious shit. Yes, I'm kinda obsessed (sic). I won't blame you for freaking._

 _Maybe I know you're right and this just has to be my secret._

 _I hate not sharing this with you except I know you'd give me that stink eye and grill me for every stupid detail. If I even told you that last night we hooked up near campus (…)_

The rest of the note was crossed out and although Max peered closely at it, she couldn't make out what was written.

 _Oh Rachel, you met Jeffershit, didn't you? Or was it Frank? No, it can't be Frank. Frank isn't wise, although he's definitely unconventional. You're right, Chloe would have freaked if she knew._

There was nothing else there so Max left, heading back around the piles of junk. She turned the corner and headed to the left, passing more piles of junk on her way to Rachel's shallow grave. Once there, she knelt down and closed her eyes, trying to feel if Rachel was there, watching her. A few seconds later, she felt a shiver run down her spine, as if someone had walked over her grave and she nodded slowly.

"Rachel, I know you're here, and I know you can hear me," she whispered. "I'm sorry that I'll never get to know you properly, but I want Chloe to tell me all about you. I know you were an important part of her life, but I don't really know _how_ important." She paused to allow a solitary tear to trickle down her cheek. "It kills me… um, excuse the pun… that I can't tell Chloe where you are right now, but I think she may be right that I need to trust her more and trust her to do the right thing. But how do I tell her about you? It would kill her right now, wouldn't it? Or am I worrying too much? If I withhold this, I mean she already knows I'm not telling her everything, she'd hate me for sure if I didn't tell her. Should I trust her, like I'm asking her to trust me? Oh Rachel, what do I do? Please, help me." She opened her eyes and looked around. The air was quiet and heavy, and her breathing the only thing that permeated the sound of the forest. Closing her eyes again, she continued.

"Rachel Amber, if you can hear me, I need your help. I need your counsel. Do I tell Chloe where you are now?" Opening her eyes, she smiled when she saw the transparent doe. It was standing not three feet away from her, looking at her directly. As she watched, it lowered its head and slowly raised it again in a definite and deliberate nod. Max felt her blood run cold and shivered as the doe turned and sprang off into the forest. "Thank you, Rachel," she whispered, getting to her feet and walking slowly back to Chloe. The blue-haired punk was sitting up on the bonnet of the junker, watching as Max approached.

"Max-a-roni!" she called. "Find what you were looking for?" As Max walked closer, though, Chloe noticed something in her eyes. She immediately slid off the bonnet and ran to Max, holding her tight. It was timely, because as she grabbed hold of Max, her friend's knees buckled and it was all Chloe could do to keep Max from falling. "Max!" she called, carrying her friend to the bonnet of the car and laying her down. She checked that Max was breathing and climbed up next to her, keeping her from sliding off, stroking her face and hair and generally keeping her comfortable.

After a few minutes, Max groaned and tried to sit up. "Keep still, Max," said Chloe, gently, pressing down on Max's forehead to prevent her from rising.

"What… happened?" Max's voice was weak.

"You fainted, dude," said Chloe. "How do you feel?"

"Terrible."

"You just fainted, dude, of course you're going to feel…"

"No, Chloe, it's not that," said Max. "Let me up, please." Chloe removed her hand and Max sat up slowly, propping herself up with her left hand and carefully sliding off the bonnet. Once on the ground, her knees failed her again and she collapsed, Chloe immediately sliding off and kneeling next to Max, taking her in her arms.

"Dude, come on, you shouldn't be standing up."

"No, Chloe, you don't understand." Max looked her friend earnestly in the eye, trying to will herself to say what needed to be said. "I need to talk to you. And you're not going to like it."

"Max…" Chloe felt a chill down the back of her neck.

"Before I tell you, Chloe, you have to promise me something."

"Go on…"

"This is important, Chloe."

"I know. Tell me."

"No, I mean it's _so_ critically important that if you don't agree to the promise, I can't tell you."

"Max, what are you…"

"Chloe, please! I know that if you promise me, you won't break your promise. It's quite possibly the most important thing I've ever asked you." Chloe could see the tears in Max's eyes and she nodded.

"Tell me, Max."

"You have to promise me that whatever I say, and I mean _whatever_ , you will stay here. You will not go running off, you will not ignore me or anything like that. You have to promise me that."

"I guess this didn't go well last week, huh?"

Max shook her head. "I had to rewind several times to get you to listen to me, Chloe. This is _critically_ important. I wasn't going to say anything yet, but I can't keep this from you. It would be so unbelievably cruel. But if I tell you and you go rushing off, you'll put both our lives in danger and I can't rewind that. So please, Chloe. Promise me."

"Max, you're beginning to scare me…"

" _Promise me, Chloe, please!_ " Max was openly crying now, holding Chloe tightly. The taller girl nodded and took Max's hands.

"Okay, dude. I promise. But man, this sounds really serious. You've got my heart thumping, my blood running cold. Dude, what did we do last week?"

"Chloe," started Max, before choking up in a fit of sobs, "you have to listen to me now. I can't go through telling you this again. It's hard enough the…"

"It's okay, Maxi," said Chloe, holding her friend as she cried, although she felt really scared now. What was so important that Max had to insist on that promise? "Take your time."

" _Chloe, we found Rachel!_ " cried Max, breaking down completely.

The air totally left Chloe's sails and her heart stopped. She continued to hold Max, but only by reflex. "You… we… what?"

"We found her, Chloe, I'm so sorry. There's no easy way to tell you this."

"You found…" Chloe realised suddenly that she was holding her breath and blew it all out, sucking another lungful in greedily. Her blood had totally turned to ice in her veins, covering her in shockwaves of ice-cold, each one pulsating through her body. With each shockwave she felt the blood thump in her ears and she knew she was close to fainting, but she couldn't move. When she spoke again, it was in a hoarse whisper. "Was she… alive?" she whispered, fearing the answer but in her heart she knew. She felt Max's head shake against her shoulder and her world collapsed around her.

"I'm so sorry, Chloe," murmured Max, but Chloe didn't hear her, as a great heaving sob escaped her lips, followed by another, and another, until she was crying so hard she was fighting for breath. The two girls stayed in that position, kneeling sideways on the ground and holding onto each other for dear life while they sobbed their hearts out.

…

"Chloe?" Max's weak voice broke the silence and Chloe raised her head from the floor. At some point during her crying, she'd slipped out of Max's grasp and collapsed completely. Her face was caked with soil and streaked with the paths of now-dried tears, and she sniffled as she tried to bring herself under control.

"Rachel…" she murmured, her voice no more than a breath on the wind, "why?" She gazed right through Max, speaking to the forest, the air, everything around her. "Why did you leave me?" Her eyes focussed on Max. "Where is she?"

"Here," said Max, her eyes welling up once more.

"Here…" repeated Chloe, dully, her voice wooden once more, unable to fully accept what she was being told. "She's right here." Again she focussed on Max. "Take me to her."

"Of course," murmured Max, rising and taking Chloe's hand in hers. It was cold and the skin clammy, but Max wasn't going to let her friend down. She led her through the piles of junk, around to the grassy area and stopped close to the spot where Rachel was buried. "She's over there," she murmured, pointing to the spot. She let go of Chloe's hand to let her friend approach the spot alone.

Chloe walked slowly, her legs threatening to give out at any moment. Halfway to the spot, she looked back and held her hand out. Max stepped forward and accepted the invitation gratefully, ignoring the hand but instead putting her arm around her friend's waist. Together, they knelt down in front of Rachel.

"Why did you tell me, Max?" murmured Chloe.

"I wasn't going to," admitted Max, "I mean, not right now, but when I was here earlier, talking to Rachel, she told me to trust you and to tell you."

"Talking to…"

"Chloe, Rachel helped us find her last week. She appeared to me several times."

"How…" Chloe's voice was still dull, trying to process everything.

"A doe. A small, transparent doe. She led me through the storm, she led me here, and she told me earlier that I could trust you."

"Can I talk to…" Chloe's voice trailed off as she looked around.

"Go on, talk to her."

"Can she hear me?"

"I guarantee it," murmured Max. "Talk to her." She paused, then let go of her friend. "I'll be just over there, okay." She rose and walked a few steps away, where she sat on the ground to give Chloe space. Chloe stayed, kneeling, her hands flat on the ground above where Rachel's body lay.

"Rachel…" she started, but stopped as she choked back a sob. She tried to control her breathing, but she struggled. "Rachel, Max says you can hear me," she said in a low voice, "and I never really had the chance to say goodbye. To be honest, Rachel, I always thought you'd gone to LA without me." She wiped a tear away. "I'm sorry I ever doubted you, angel. I should have known you'd never leave me, not willingly." She paused to draw another breath. "I know you never loved me the way I loved you, and that's okay. I was just glad that we were there for each other, that we shared all the great times we did." She drew another breath and paused, trying to drum up the courage for what she had to say next.

"But Rachel, Max is back in my life. Remember Max? I think I used to talk about her quite a lot. Yeah, _that_ Max. She came back with the most amazing story about… well, I guess you already know that part. Thing is, Rachel, I need to confess something to you." She bowed her head and whispered. "I know I loved you, but I think I always had these feelings for Max. And with her… coming back into my life, I think they're getting stronger. Oh Rachel, I'm so confused. And I know Max doesn't feel the same way." She sighed. "I wish she did. I don't know, Rachel. What do I do?" She stayed kneeling for a while until she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at Max, who put a finger to her lips and motioned Chloe to turn around. As she did so, she noticed a doe, standing a few steps away, looking directly at her. As she gazed, she noticed that the doe seemed… otherworldly. Semi-transparent. Realisation flooded through her as a wave of emotion.

"Is that…" she asked, and Max nodded. "Rachel…" she breathed, tears falling down her cheeks. She felt Max take her hand and they stood, gazing at the doe until it unmistakeably nodded and bounded off into the forest. Max pulled her hand.

"Come on," she said, but Chloe resisted.

"Shouldn't we… dig… uncover her or something?"

"We can't, Chloe," said Max, shaking her head. "How would it look if we went straight to the spot where she was buried and 'discovered' her without any evidence? What do you think the police would say?"

"That we knew where she was because…"

"… we were involved in her death. We can't yet, Chloe. But we will. We just need to find the evidence first." Max pulled again and this time Chloe followed her.

"Where are we going?"

"Away from here," said Max. "We need time to reflect."

…

"We did this last week as well, didn't we?" said Chloe, as they walked along the railway tracks, admiring the views of the sun-shafts through the forest trees. Each walked on a single trackline, hands outstretched for balance, and Chloe's left hand touching Max's right.

"Yeah," said Max. "It was after… wait, we didn't see Frank!"

"Frank? He was here?"

"Yeah, last week. He threatened us if you didn't pay back the money you owe him."

"You know about that, too?"

Max nodded. "I know why. He heard us playing with the guns. We didn't do that this time, so perhaps he didn't know we were there."

Chloe sighed. "I've no idea how I'm going to pay him back. The idea was to take the money and run, but now with Rachel…"

"I'm working on that, Chloe, don't worry," said Max, causing Chloe to sharply look at her friend and lose her balance, tripping and falling on the grass. Max giggled.

"You're working on that? Damn dude, what did we _do_ last week?"

Max sat on the grass next to Chloe and put her finger over her friend's lips. "That would be telling. Suffice to say, we paid Frank back last week."

"How?"

"With money." Max giggled and Chloe rolled her eyes.

"I _know_ that, dork! Duh! I mean, where did we get the money?"

"Sorry, can't tell you that just yet." Chloe grimaced but relented. "I haven't worked out how we're going to get it without my rewind powers yet."

"So, we came here last week? What did we do?"

"Not much, really. There was something that happened here that I want to prevent." She looked around. They were sitting on the grass and not the tracks, so she nodded. "We were sitting on the tracks. We can't do that this time, Chloe, okay?" There was something about Max's eyes that made Chloe agree readily.

"Sure thing, Max. Do I want to know why?"

"Please, don't ask me," said Max, her voice wavering slightly. "I get nightmares still about it."

"Okay, Max, I won't press," said Chloe, understanding. "I trust you." Those three little words sent a wave of warmth through Max's body and she smiled.

"Thanks," whispered Max, breathing a little easier. "Last week, you told me about how you and Rachel met. At the lighthouse. Even though she's… even though I won't get to meet her now, I promised her that I'd get to know her through you, that you'd tell me about the happy times you shared together." She looked down. "It was the least I could do to preserve her memory."

"I can't believe she's… Rachel…" Chloe's voice trailed off.

"Could you tell me about her, Chloe, please?" Max put a hand on her friend's arm, stroking her skin ever so slightly with her thumb. "Perhaps we can remember her how she was, not how she is…" Chloe sighed, a slow, slow sigh full of pent-up emotion and sadness.

"When did you first realise just how important she was to you?" murmured Max. Her thumb was still tracing soothing circles on Chloe's tattooed arm.

…

Chloe was crying.

It was beginning to happen far more than she wanted to admit, even to herself. And it always followed the same pattern. She'd get into a fight with her step-father, they'd lose their temper and shout at each other. Sometimes she'd push him too far and he'd end up slapping her, then either he or she would storm out.

Why did he have to be like that? Couldn't he see that it was all his fault? If he wasn't such a festering turd of a step-father, she wouldn't have to start yelling at him to leave her alone.

Tonight she'd stormed out. Oh, her step-father had ordered her to stay put, but she wasn't going to listen and obey, now was she? She wasn't in the military; there was no fucking way she was going to obey an _order_ from that stupid son-of-a-bitch.

And so she ran. Blindly, trying to hold back the tears, she just ran. Before she knew where she was, she'd ended up in the park. It was one of the few places she felt totally safe, together with the lighthouse, the treehouse that she and Max had occupied, and the end of the beach, where the rocks hid that small cove that she and Max had sometimes gone to play pirates.

She'd sat on the swings, held her face in her hands and let the tears flow. If anyone had seen her, she'd have told them they were tears of anger. She tried to stand up to her fucking step-dildo and got a face-full of slap for her troubles. She could still feel the burning on her cheek.

But in all honesty, and she very rarely even thought about admitting it to herself, this wasn't the reason for her tears.

No, the reason was much simpler.

She missed her real father. And she missed Max.

It had grown easier with time; after they laid William to rest, and Max had moved away, but it was still difficult. She didn't know anyone else and would spend almost all of her time on her own, crying, waiting for the email or the text that never came, or most of the time just sitting, or laying on the bed in silence, staring at the ceiling, wondering why.

Things had got easier when she met Rachel, however. Joyce, although wary of the blonde girl, was substantially happier that her daughter had opened up, as she had feared that Chloe was basically becoming catatonic. She'd seen Chloe smile and laugh, although it still seemed a little forced, and there was a new sparkle in her eyes when she was talking about, or thinking about her new friend.

But Rachel wasn't here either. She hadn't been in school today, and Chloe was missing her company. The two girls were becoming very close, very quickly. They'd seem to connect almost immediately, which just meant that Chloe felt the pain of separation much more intensely when they weren't together.

And so she sat and cried, all her old pains bubbling back to the surface once more and overwhelming her defences. She sat, head in hands, swinging slowly back and forth on the swing. The tears eventually dried but she didn't move. She was only vaguely aware of a shadow falling over her as somebody approached.

"Step-douche?" whispered a voice as two arms snaked around her body and held her close. She nodded. "Come on, let's get you over here," said the familiar voice and Chloe allowed herself to be taken from the swing over to the roundabout. Rachel, in a practised move, sat her friend down on the roundabout and knelt down on the floor of the device, legs tucked in to the side. She knew this was the best position to give the comfort that Chloe so desperately needed, but would never ask for. She drew the shuddering girl with the beautiful mousey hair into her arms and let her cry again, this time in the knowledge that she was safe while she did so.

"Ssh," she whispered, over and over, rocking Chloe ever so slightly while stroking her hands gently through her beautiful hair. "He's not here now. I am."

"Thanks, angel," murmured Chloe.

"I won't leave you, Chloe. Promise."

…

"Sounds like she was everything to you," said Max.

"She was… a big part of my life, Max," admitted Chloe, not looking at Max. "But… she wasn't everything."

"You loved her."

"I did," said Chloe, thinking back. "At least, I thought I did."

"I know you did," said Max. "You told me last week. And your reaction when we found her last week. You were heartbroken." She mumbled something else.

"What was that?"

"Sorry. I said that I wanted to avoid that this week. That's one of the reasons I told you now. I know how much she meant to you."

"Thanks Max, but you know, she meant a lot to me, but…"

"Don't try and downplay it, Chloe," said Max. "I know how you felt…."

"… I know, but…"

"… You called her your angel…"

"Goddammit Max, _she wasn't you!_ "

Chloe's outburst left any words hanging on Max's lips. She snapped her head around to look at the punk, but Chloe had frozen rigid, as if appalled at what she'd just said.

"Chloe…"

"Uh, Max, we should get you back to school now, you know," she said, refusing to look at her friend. She jumped up and began walking swiftly away.

"Chloe, wait up!" called Max, rising to her feet and jogging after Chloe. "Hey, stop!"

Chloe turned her head at the sound of Max's call, but in doing so missed the large chunk of wood by the side of the tracks. She tripped and fell heavily onto the tracks just as the world closed around Max. The calming forest was replaced instantly by the screaming wind and towering maw of the…

"Max!"

… storm. A clap of thunder, so loud as to shake the ground exploded directly overhead and the air fairly buzzed with static electricity.

"Max!"

The darkness was almost claustrophobic as the wind swirled around her, the rain needling its way through her clothes and stinging her skin and face. She shut her eyes to try and blot out the…

"Max!"

… driving rain, holding her hands to her ears to try and block out the deafening, rending noise of the storm. Then, just as suddenly, it was gone, and she was on her knees, panting from the intensity of her vision, the sun's rays once again enveloping her in their warming embrace.  
"Max!"

Chloe's voice brought her back to reality, and she looked in horror to see Chloe struggling on the rails. Max immediately rose, her head throbbing and ran to her friend. "Chloe?"

"My foot's stuck, Max! I… I can't get it free!" Chloe's voice was genuinely frightened, and Max immediately flashed back to the previous week.

 _No fucking way! You are fucking_ kidding _me!_

"Don't worry, Chloe, I know exactly what to do," she said, trying not to panic and running back up the tracks to the little hut. She quickly found the crowbar, opened the hut's door and found the pliers. She kept hold of both tools and she ran back down towards Chloe, hearing the horn of the approaching train. Chloe's voice was getting more panicked and Max forced herself to run faster. She knelt down by Chloe, praying this would work and she wouldn't have to cut any wires. Calling on every ounce of strength she had left, and with Chloe helping her, she managed to wedge the crowbar in between the rails and pry them apart, just enough for Chloe to free her foot. She pulled Chloe and they rolled clear of the track on to the grass verge.

"Max…" said Chloe, weakly, as Max began crying again, rolling against Chloe and holding her tightly, as if she never wanted to let her go. They stayed that way as the train thundered past.

"Chloe, you can't take risks, I can't lose you again!" cried Max.

"I know, Max, I know," said Chloe, trying to be soothing but really just as worked up as Max, her own heart beating wildly, "but that time I didn't take any risks, I just tripped and fell. What happened to you? You just seemed to… collapse."

"Tornado… vision," said Max, calming down enough to be able to breathe and think clearly. "I saw it again. It's still coming, Chloe."

"But not until Friday, so we've still got time, right?"

"Right." Max felt her phone buzz and pulled it out to see she had missed a call. With a growing sense of unease, she checked her voicemail and heard a message from Kate. The call must have come in when she was in the middle of her vision.

"Hi Max, I'm sorry to be ringing you," said Kate's voice. It was slow, wooden and as lifeless as when Max had talked to her earlier in the day. "I just wanted to tell you something. I wanted to say I know you've been a good friend, a dear friend. You've been my best friend here at Blackwell, and the only one really who's actually cared about me. I just wanted to say thanks… for everything. And… and I'm sorry. Goodbye Max."

Max listened to the message in horror. As soon as it ended, she checked her watch. "Chloe! Fuck, I'm… fuck I'm late! _Fuck, fuck fuck!_ "

"What?"

"We've gotta go. Now! Everything else will have to wait!" She rose and pulled Chloe to her feet, running off, Chloe having to run hard to keep up with Max as they headed back to the truck. As soon as the doors were unlocked Max jumped inside and began dialling her phone. "Fuck, she's not answering! Chloe, we have to get back to Blackwell. Right now," she said, her voice betraying her obvious terror. It wasn't lost on the punk.

"Trust me, Max," said Chloe, gunning the engine and screaming away from the junkyard. While she drove, Max dialled Kate's number desperately, cursing when the call wouldn't connect. She tried once more, before remembering what she'd told Victoria the night before.

 _She'll be there, won't she? At the stairwell?_

She dialled Victoria's number, praying that the Victoria that answered would be the one she talked to the previous night, not the Queen Bitch Victoria she usually had encountered. Thankfully, the call connected and Victoria answered almost straight away.

"Max? Is that you?"


	13. 12 Stairwell

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"Of course I am. God, will you just _shut up_ about it already!" Victoria huffed and her friend, Taylor, shrunk hack as if slapped.

"So… sorry, Victoria. I was just…"

"I know what you were 'just', okay? Give it a rest for one, will you? Go and bug Courtney or something. Go on," she continued, when Taylor didn't move, and the girl fairly flew out of Victoria's space to find the third member of the clique.

Alone, Victoria sat, sipping her coffee, her mind racing furiously as it had done all day.

 _What the fuck is she on about?_

The white envelope was still sat on her desk, still unopened. It had been a mammoth task not to open it, as it would call to her every few minutes.

 _Victoo-oo-oo-ria. Open me. Come on, you know you want to._

But she'd resisted, and felt slightly heroic about it. But she still couldn't help wondering what it was all about. What did Max mean that it would negate it completely if she opened it? More to the point, what the fuck had Max done to her? Somehow, unbelievably, she'd managed to slip past all of her barriers and defences that she'd spent so long putting up, straight through to the real Victoria Maribeth Chase that she'd kept hidden from everyone for so long.

 _How the fuck did she do that?_

The first clue was that morning, in the shower room. Taylor had really laid into Kate, and to her absolute astonishment, Victoria actually found herself feeling uncomfortable about it. She felt like she really didn't want to be part of it, and the look on Kate's face had really hit home. She wasn't even fighting back, she just looked a beaten, defeated girl. And Taylor just would not stop. Once or twice, she nearly reached out to stop Taylor but held back at the last second. After they'd left, she'd even nipped back a few minutes later to rub off the website that Taylor had drawn on the mirror in lipstick, but she was actually glad that somebody else had got there first. It was all so… unexpected. Emotions long repressed were actually getting in her way.

And Taylor was being totally insufferable. Okay, so her mother was in hospital, and she was stressing out. But jesus, the woman was only have routine surgery, it's not like she was dying or anything! So Taylor was being extra bitchy to everyone. Maybe she was subconsciously compensating for Victoria's quieter mood or something, Victoria couldn't tell, but it was definitely a fact that she'd noticed that Victoria was distracted. And for god's sake, the girl wouldn't shut up about it!

 _'Are you okay, Victoria?'_

 _'I mean, like, you seem totally distracted, Victoria.'_

 _'Are you sure you're okay, because, I mean, like, you know you can totally talk to me, yeah?'_

She was driving Victoria up the wall. She wouldn't or couldn't take the hint to shut up, and of course Victoria couldn't tell her she was distracted because she was thinking about Lamefield of all people. God help her if anyone actually found that out! And Taylor had been bugging her all day about it, although it now appeared as if she'd finally got the message.

Her thoughts (and her latte) were interrupted by her phone ringing. Looking at the screen, she frowned when she saw it was Max calling.

 _Max, calling me? She's_ never _called me before._

Intrigued, she accepted the call.

"Max, is that you?"

"Oh thank God you've answered." There was something about Max's voice. It sounded… terrified.

 _What the fuck?_

"Max, are you okay?"

 _Jesus, I've turned into Taylor. Lame, Chase, totally lame._

"Sorry Max, that was… lame. Of course you're not okay. Why else would you ring me?"

"Victoria… have you seen Kate? Do you know where she is? Have you seen her at all today? She's not answering her phone." She was talking very fast and breathless.

"Kate Marsh?" Victoria thought back. "Noooo, not since this morning. Um, she's got photography with us next period." She frowned. "Max, is that a car I can hear… are you even on campus?"

"No, I'm on my way back now. Faster, Chloe," she said, off mic, intriguing Victoria even more, "but I think I'm gonna be late. Victoria, I know I said to go to the stairwell in, um, what, twenty minutes or so…"

"Yeah, I'm just having a coffee, waiting to…"

"You need to go now."

"What?"

"Right now, Victoria."

" _What?_ "

"Victoria, I don't have the time or energy to try and explain, but you have to believe me. Please. Just go now. Like, right now! Run! And check the roof before you wait at the stairwell."

"Max…" A shiver passed down Victoria's spine.

"Do it Victoria, please. It's... it's a matter of life and death. You have to wait by the stairwell now, but you absolutely have to check the roof is clear first. Come on, Chloe, this thing have a fourth gear? Faster!"

"I'm going as faster as I can, Maxi-pad," came a breathless voice just off mic.

"Okay, Max, but if this is a wind-up… not that I don't deserve that..."

"Victoria, I swear to you, this is fucking real. This is as serious as it gets, and you have to go there _right now_ , okay?"

"Okay, Max, I'm going."

"When this is all over, don't wait around. Read the envelope and come see me if I can't get there in time."

"Um, okay…"

"And Victoria? Thanks. And good luck. You'll need it."

"Um, okay, I guess…"

"Oh, one more thing, and this is vital. Shit, I can't believe I nearly forgot. Do you know the bible at all?"

"Like, what? Of course I don't, why would you even…"

"Okay, you'll need to remember this."

"Max, this is totally bizarre."

" _Just fucking remember this!_ " There was a pause. "Sorry, Victoria, but I'm so fucking scared right now."

"It's okay, Max, I can tell. Go on."

"Matthew eleven twenty-eight. Repeat that."

"Matthew eleven twenty-eight."

"Come to me, all ye who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Now repeat that."

"Come to me, all ye who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

"Good. That is your last resort."

"Max, I don't understand."

"Victoria, I said there's no time for explanations. Think about it. Kate. Roof. Put it together."

"Kate… roof… holy shit, she's not…"

"Yes, she is. And I won't be there to stop it this time. It's all on you, Victoria. I'm sorry, but you've got to stop my dear friend from…"

"Max, I'm there," said Victoria, standing up suddenly and knocking her latte all over her trousers. There were a few hoots of laughter that dried up quickly as she shot dagger glares around the cafeteria, and she walked as quickly as she dared outside. Once outside, she broke into a run, uncaring as to how she looked, and fairly galloped across the courtyard towards the dorms. She reached the entrance to the girls' dorm and stopped at the bottom of the stairwell to catch her breath, then remembering Max's words, she climbed the stairs to the roof.

 _The door is always locked, though, so Kate wouldn't be able to…_

To her surprise, the door opened quite happily and Victoria peered out onto the rooftop, sucking in a great breath of relief on finding that it was empty. She quickly checked all the corners before heading back to the stairwell.

 _Come to me, all ye who are… wait, why can't I just lock the door?_

She climbed back up, but the key was missing. Cursing, she headed back down, and sat on the stairs, just above the second floor. She didn't know which direction Kate would be coming from, the ground or her room, and this was the best place to catch her.

 _Surely Max must be wrong. Kate's a Jesus-lover. Suicide is like a cardinal sin to them, isn't it? Like, eternal damnation in hellfire kind of thing._

She checked her phone. Nothing.

 _But Max was panicking. She knows something, she knows… what_ does _she know? And didn't she say she couldn't stop it_ this _time? Has Kate already tried this and we don't know about it? Max wouldn't let something like that slip out accidentally, she's far too smart for that! What the fuck is going on?_

 _Come to me, all ye who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew, uh, eleven twenty-eight I think it was. It's a bible quote, for sure. Is it Kate's favourite quote or something? Why as a last resort? And why is this suddenly all on me? Why have I got to save her?_

 _Fuck, this had better not be a wind-up. Max wouldn't do something like that to me, would she? Surely not after last night. No, I mean she sounded terrified on the phone. She's not that good an actor. Oh, I don't get it. I just don't understand how she managed to wriggle through my barriers. Although, the thing is, actually, it was kind of nice talking to someone properly for once. No expectations, no pretences, no bitching, no worrying about appearances. Could she actually be a real friend?_

 _But she said didn't want to be a secret friend? What would happen if I came out with her as my friend? Am I willing to give everything up for her? Would I have to? Am I even seriously thinking about this, like…_

The sound of the door banging open below her startled Victoria back into reality. She could hear footsteps slowly climbing the stairs and a sound that nearly broke her heart. Soft weeping. Not the sound of someone crying but the soft weeping of someone who has totally given up, the emotions of a human being who has completely accepted that there is nowhere left to go, nobody left to turn to.

 _Fuck, Max was right. No pressure, Victoria._

And suddenly, Victoria felt fear.

For the first time in her life, not only was she not in control, but she had _real_ responsibility. And if she screwed this up (which was a real possibility), then no amount of money would make it right. Because Kate would be dead.

And so she was afraid.

Afraid that the pressure would overwhelm her.

Afraid that she wouldn't be able to stop Kate from jumping.

Afraid that she'd let Max down.

 _Where did_ that _come from? Fuck, I've got to stop thinking about Max._

Afraid that she was the cause of Kate's depression.

And suddenly, there was Kate, climbing the stairs below her. She was quietly sobbing, her footsteps quite a way apart, signifying that she was climbing slowly, but deliberately. She'd shown no sign that she even knew Victoria was there, waiting for her. She continued to climb the stairs, acting as if each one was getting higher, steeper and harder to climb. She passed the door to her corridor and continued upwards, approaching Victoria without seeing her.

 _Ok, it's now or never, Victoria Chase. Do not fuck this up._

 _Fuck, how do I do this? Do I try to appeal to her religious half? Do I try to guilt her into not jumping? Do I bluff? Do I… apologise to her?_

 _Do not fuck this up._

"Kate…"

Kate stopped, seeing Victoria for the first time. "Victoria," she said, and Victoria was horrified to hear the lifeless voice of a broken girl. She made to continue her climb, but Victoria spoke once more.

"Kate, wait."

"What do you want, Victoria?" asked Kate. "Come to put the knife in? I'm sure you can think of something witty or acerbic to say to me, but there's nothing more you can do to me now, so you may as well go back to class."

"Kate, I'm not here to make things worse for you," said Victoria, carefully. "As a matter of fact, I don't think I can make it any worse."

"That's true. Thanks for everything, Victoria. I'll see you around, I guess." Kate turned to continue her slow march up to the roof, but Victoria reached out her arm to stop her.

"Kate, please don't," she said. "I know where you're going." That stopped Kate. She looked at Victoria, her eyes widening.

"Then you'll know why," she said.

"Yeah, I know why," said Victoria. "It's all my fault." She dropped her head. "Please Kate, don't go up there."

"I'm sorry Victoria, but I'm not in the habit of making you feel better."

 _Great._ Now _you grow a pair?_

"Kate…"

"What do you want, Victoria?" asked Kate, throwing her hands in the air. "Do you want forgiveness for what you've done? If that's the case, then sure. I forgive you. Go back to your little life, and your faux-friends, content in the knowledge that you don't have to take any responsibility or any fault in this. Okay? Off you go now." She motioned away with both hands.

"Kate, it's not like that at all. You don't understand…"

"I don't understand. I don't. Understand." Kate barked a short laugh. "That's rich, Victoria. I understand perfectly. I know exactly what's going on here. You have finally realised your cruel, nasty little game has gone _way_ further than you meant, and you're desperately trying to absolve yourself of any responsibility. There's no way you want to go on with the rest of your life thinking that you caused the death of a young girl. So fine. Have it your way. None of this has anything to do with you. Got it? You want me to write it down for you, so you can show the others? Prove it wasn't your fault? Is that it? You want absolution? Well, you've got it."

"Kate, please…"

"Go away, Victoria. Go back to your clique. Leave me alone. Or… or would you like to put the knife in one last time? Is that what you want? Well, go on then. I won't stop you. I _can't_ stop you, Victoria. You've proved that to me time and time again. I'm nobody. I'm nothing. I'm your plaything, that's all I am now. I'm just here for your amusement, entertainment, whatever you want. You've taken away everything that's ever meant anything to me. My mother and aunt call me a whore. My church is going to kick me out after seeing the video. My friends don't want to know me. I literally have nothing left, Victoria. So thank you. You did a great job."

"Kate, don't speak like that…"

"Why not? It's the truth." Kate began walking up the stairs again, spurring Victoria into action. She sprang up and grabbed Kate's arm.

"No, Kate. I won't let you do this to yourself," she said, but to her surprise, Kate resisted.

"What are you going to do, then? Kidnap me? Watch over me twenty-four-seven? I don't think so, Victoria." She shook her arm free and carried on up the stairs with a renewed determination.

 _This isn't working._

 _Shit._

Victoria ran up the stairs after Kate, but the other girl was surprisingly quick and reached the top before Victoria, opening the door and exiting out onto the roof before the taller girl could catch her. As Victoria went through the roof door, she could see Kate almost at the edge of the roof. The rain was lightly falling now. Kate turned, and looked straight at Victoria with a resigned smile on her face. She waved once, then turned and stepped up on to the lip and looked down at the ground below.

"Goodbye, Victoria."


	14. 13 Bonding

"Goodbye, Victoria."

"Kate, wait!" Victoria screamed, panicking now, not giving a thought about how she'd look or how anyone else would see her. "I'm sorry, Kate, okay? I'm _so fucking_ sorry!" Ahead of her, the girl on the lip of the roof paused, her weight shifted onto the balls of her feet.

"So. You're sorry. I've never heard you apologise for anything. I don't even think you're sincere about it. You think that's going to change anything?"

"Not really," said Victoria, aware that tears were beginning to stream down her cheeks. "I mean, not immediately. But I'd like the opportunity to try."

"I think it's a bit late for that," said Kate, "wouldn't you agree?" Victoria was chilled to hear Kate's voice. No longer was it hesitant, or broken. It was very matter-of-fact, as if a major decision had been made and the speaker had already come to terms and accepted the outcome. She knew was running out of time, and quickly. "I'm stuck in a nightmare, Victoria. I can't get out. No matter how hard I've tried, something always pushes me right back in, so I think the only option left to me now is to go to sleep. So much has been taken from me, this is something that I can choose to do. One final choice, Victoria."

"You can't, Kate." Victoria's voice was breaking and starting to fail her. "I fucked up, okay? I did terrible, awful things to you. Things I'm not proud of. You need to get angry with me, Kate. You need to hate me."

"But I'm not, Victoria," said Kate with a wan smile. "I don't hate you. I can't hate you. I can't… anything anymore."

"But you _should_ , Kate," insisted Victoria. "The things I did, you _should_ hate me. You _should_ want to fight, to get back at me. Remember the old saying, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Well, let _this_ make you stronger."

"Nice try, Victoria, but, it has _already_ killed me. I don't feel anything, Victoria. Have you ever been in that position? You have no emotions, nothing left inside of you? I don't have anything left in me to feel, Victoria. I can't hate you. I can't get angry, I can't fight. I'm already dead inside." She looked down and Victoria's heart stopped for a moment. "Jumping off here isn't going to do anything worse to me than has already been done. In fact, all it will do is bring this horrible nightmare to an end."

Victoria's shoulders slumped. "Kate, I'm begging you now," she said, her voice cracking as she got down onto her knees in the rain, reaching out her hand to Kate, privately glad that nobody could see her. "Please, come downstairs with me. I'd like a second chance with you. I'd like the chance to try to… look, I need someone to talk to. You're right, I don't actually have any proper friends, although I've the possibility of one as of last night. I don't have anyone to talk to, and I think that you're feeling the exact same way right about now."

"You don't know how I feel, Victoria, so don't even pretend," spat Kate. "Don't you think you've done enough damage?"

 _That's right. Get angry with me, Kate! There's still something left in there. I just need to get it to the surface…_

"Yes, I think I've done more than enough damage to you, Kate, and I also think it's time I started repairing that damage," admitted Victoria. "I… I'm not used to apologising to anyone for anything, as you said, but there are some things I really need to say to you. Kate, please come down with me." She smiled through her tears. "Look at me. I'm on my knees in the rain, begging you to come with me."

"That is… unexpected," agreed Kate.

"You want a photo? I guess… I could take a selfie of this moment for you?"

"Why would I want that?"

"You could humiliate me with it, Kate. It would be fitting for the way I've humiliated you. I don't know what else I can do to prove to you how sorry I am."

"Why would I want to humiliate you, Victoria? Do you think that would be the right thing to do?" Kate's voice was gentle and Victoria thought before answering.

"Well, no, but it's all I deserve. I humiliated you for your beliefs, so you get to do the same. Kate, please, I'm just trying everything I can think of. I can't _make_ you come down with me, but I'm prepared to put everything I am on the line for you, Kate. You know me, you know how much I value my appearance. A photo like that would essentially be career su…" Victoria just managed to stop herself before she made things worse. "It would be devastating to me." She thought quickly. "Isn't there something in the bible about second chances? I'm sure that my Sunday school teacher said something about turning a cheek or something like that. Well, before I was thrown out, anyway."

"You were thrown out of Sunday school?"

"Um, I'm sure you really don't want to know…"

"Tell me."

Victoria looked awkwardly at Kate. "Well, it was all over one question. I mean, I was genuinely interested in the story, but there was one thing I didn't understand, so I asked. And my teacher pointed at the door, told me to leave and never come back. Everyone laughed at me, I felt… I felt like I just wanted the ground to swallow me up." Victoria dropped her head.

"The question?"

"They were telling this story about how Jesus went to visit this guy called Simon the Leper. I just asked why they called him Simon the Leper, that's all."

Kate couldn't suppress a giggle. "You asked…"

"… why they called him Simon the Leper. Yeah."

"You seriously did that?"

"Yeah, okay, I did." Victoria noticed that Kate's mouth was still twitching.

"You didn't think that was an odd question? I mean, it's kind of obvious, isn't it?"

"Kate, I was eight years old. No I didn't. I'd never heard of a leper before. I hated being thrown out. My mother… well, that's a story for another day. Look, will you come with me?"

"Where would we go?"

 _Am I… winning? This sounds promising. Come on, Victoria, a little more._

"I don't know. Somewhere quiet, where we can talk."

 _What was it Max said?_

Victoria reached out her hand. "Kate, please, come to me, you who is weary and burdened. I will give you rest."

"Matthew, eleven…"

"… twenty-eight," finished Victoria, and Kate eyes widened in amazement.

"That's my favourite passage."

"Please Kate, come down with me," said Victoria, keeping her hand outstretched, although her arm was beginning to hurt. "At the very least, let me explain why I did what I did to you. If you want to hate me, then you can go ahead and do that, I deserve it totally. But please don't jump."

"Why should I trust you? Give me one good reason, Victoria."

"I can't, Kate. Honestly, I can't give you any reason to trust me. All I've done is hurt you. But you trust Max, don't you?"

"Max?"

"I'm here because she told me to be here, Kate."

"She… how could she…"

"I don't understand, either, but I'd like to. Kate, there's something going on here. Please…" she continued to hold out her hand, and Kate silently nodded.

"Then Peter came up and said unto him, 'Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?' And Jesus said unto him, 'I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.'"

Victoria looked at her guiltily. "I'm sorry, Kate, but I don't know what that means." This elicited another small giggle from Kate.

"Think about it, Victoria," she said, and the taller girl pursed her lips for a moment, considering the bible quote.

"You'll… give me a second chance?" she asked, hardly daring to believe.

"This had better not be a trick, Victoria."

 _Yeeeees!_

"Funny. Max said that last night, as well," said Victoria, stepping forward and taking Kate's hand, pulling her off the roof lip, not quite into her arms. "Kate, thank you so much for trusting me," she murmured.

"I don't," said Kate. "Trust is earned, remember?"

"Then, thanks for being open to the possibility. I want to earn your trust."

"Don't promise things you can't keep, Victoria."

"I intend keeping that one, Kate." They began walking to the roof door, but something crossed Kate's mind and she stopped.

"I don't want to go to your room, Victoria."

"That's okay. I don't think it's particularly appropriate if I go to yours, either."

"Then…"

"Don't worry. I know some neutral territory. Come on," said Victoria, her heart beating so wildly that her knees felt weak, gratefully leading Kate away from the roof and down the stairs.

…

"Max's room?"

Victoria shrugged. "It's neutral territory."

"Does Max know?" asked Kate, and Victoria typed on her phone for a moment.

 _[VICTORIA]: We're in your room Max. Hope you don't mind. Can you give us fifteen minutes or so before you come in? Thanks. Uh, my room is open if you need a place to crash for a bit. But don't break anything. Actually, don't touch anything._

 _[MAX]: Well done, Victoria. Fuck, that's the best news I've had all day! Um, Chloe is with me. Is that okay if we go into your room?_

 _[VICTORIA]: sigh Just don't touch anything._

 _[MAX]: Chloe asks can she touch the floor?_

 _[VICTORIA]: Yes. She can touch the floor._

 _[MAX] She asks, what about the air?_

 _[VICTORIA]: Seriously? Just be quiet and don't break anything, okay?_

"She does now." Victoria was sat on the chair, while Kate was laid on the bed. She seemed a bit calmer now, but Victoria knew her emotions were still volatile. "Kate," she began, wondering where to start, "I know you probably have a lot of questions, but…"

"If you have something to say to me, Victoria, just go ahead and say it," said Kate, playing with the cross on her neck, twisting it around.

"I'm… Kate, I'm really sorry." Victoria exhaled noisily and finally looked up at Kate, who was surprised to see watery eyes and… fear? "Kate, I don't know what got into me. All I know is that I wanted to hurt you, and the thought of what I did is now making me sick."

"Victoria, are you… frightened?"

"I don't know what I'm feeling, Kate, it's eating away at me and I don't know how to make it better. All I do know is that I have to apologise to you, whether you'll accept the apology and forgive me, or not. But I have to try."

"I think that might be guilt, Victoria."

"Guilt? Shit. I don't like it."

"Victoria, this isn't a joke, is it? This isn't some elaborate scheme to make me feel better just so you can tear me down again? Because, I'm telling you now, I don't think I'd survive that. I… barely survived this time."

"No, I'm… serious, Kate. I find myself in the unenviable, and unfamiliar position of throwing myself at your mercy." She looked at Kate and smiled. "It's not a position I've ever been in before, and it's not one I want to be in again."

Kate hesitated. "I do have a question."

"Of course, you must have loads…"

"No. Only one."

Victoria shrugged. "Ask it."

"Why?"

"Why did I do what I did?" Victoria sighed, exhaling noisily and pursing her lips. "Honestly? I don't really know. I think it's because you're a really good person and I'm not." Victoria paused for a moment, thinking. "Yesterday I was quite secure in what I was doing. I was Queen Bee here. Taylor and Courtney would do whatever I said, and yes, I was a bitch. To you _and_ Max."

"Why would you want to be a… a… not-nice?" asked Kate, and Victoria chuckled.

"Kate, please don't ever change," she said, before turning serious again. "Because the Vortex Club is all about appearances. I have power here, and if I want to keep it, I need to show those who want it that they can't have it. And more often than not, to do that I have to abuse it. And until yesterday, I was fine with that." Kate mumbled something that Victoria didn't catch. "Sorry, I missed that."

"I said 'Power corrupts.' It's a quote from Lord Acton, a British historian."

"I've not heard that before. How does it go?"

"'Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.'"

"Seems appropriate," conceded Victoria. "That was me. But not now."

"What happened?"

"Put simply, Max happened. I had a load of paint dumped all over me, but instead of making fun, she actually tried to help me clean up."

"Max is like that. Always thinking of others…"

"I know, so when she was upset last night…"

"I heard that." Kate sighed. "I wanted to go to her, but I just couldn't bring myself to get up."

"It's okay, Kate," said Victoria. "Lord knows you had your own issues, mostly by my hand. So I went to her. She'd reached out to me earlier in the day, so I thought I'd repay the sentiment. And it really brought a few truths home." She looked down. "Kate, I'm not a good person, I know that. I abuse the power I've been given for personal gain, and I'm a bitch. Nobody trusts me, nobody actually likes me at all. I mean, Taylor and Courtney aren't really my friends. They hang on to try and sponge off the power I have. And what I did to you is totally inexcusable."

"You were horrible…"

"I know," said Victoria, tears streaking down her cheeks. "Kate, I'm _so_ sorry, I know that an apology is worth nothing at this point. But for what it's worth, I never meant this to go as far as it has. I even took the video down this morning after Max asked me to, but Taylor had copied it and uploaded it herself. I'm sorry, Kate. I felt really awkward this morning in the showers."

"That's definitely guilt, Victoria."

"Yeah, whatever." Victoria caught herself. "Sorry, Kate. Bad habits. I'm still trying to get used to this… this… being nice. It's so easy just to slip back into old habits."

"So what happened to you last night? I mean, look at you. You're a totally different person."

"Max."

"Max?"

Victoria sighed. "I don't know what happened. I was talking to Max last night. She was upset, we started talking and she managed to get through every single barrier that I've spent years putting up. I've no idea how she did it, Kate, nobody's ever been able to get through before, but I haven't been able to stop thinking about it all day. She even gave me an envelope with strict instructions not to open it until tonight." She shook her head. "When I was talking to her, I realised that I don't have any real friends. Talking with Max last night was… nice, unexpectedly nice. She said she didn't want to be a secret friend, and I can see that." She hesitated, biting her bottom lip. "I'd… I'd quite like a friend, a proper friend," she murmured, looking straight at Kate, "or two."

"Victoria…"

"I'm not a bad person, Kate, really. I just… I don't know." She suddenly realised that Kate's eyes were closed, but her lips were moving. "Kate? Say something, please," she said, her voice trembling.

"Sorry Victoria, I was just praying," said Kate, opening her eyes.

"Sorry."

"Don't be," she smiled. "I was praying for you," she said, and Victoria looked at her with genuine surprise.

"You were praying… for me?"

"Of course. I asked our Father for his help and blessing to forgive you. And he gave me just what I needed."

"Does that mean…"

"… that I forgive you? Yes, I do forgive you, Victoria." At this, Victoria's eyes filled up completely and tears began streaming down her face. "Your apology was so sincere, and you did get down on your knees in the rain for me," said Kate, smiling genuinely.

"Kate, thank you so much. You don't know what this means to me. I've never felt like this before," she babbled, sobbing in relief. "Kate, if you'd have… I'd never have been able to forgive myself. I swear I'm going to be a better person from now on." Kate smiled and opened her arms, Victoria practically falling into them as the two girls embraced before they pulled apart once more, but this time Kate patted the bed and Victoria took a seat next to the shorter girl, who was biting her lip, looking at Victoria.

"What is it, Kate?"

"I was just wondering… you haven't asked me…"

"What?"

"Since… you haven't asked me why I wanted to…"

"I figured there was no need. It's my fault. I drove you up there," said Victoria, shuddering.

"That's part of it, but there's a lot more to it than that, Victoria. What you did was really mean, although the fact you took the video down this morning, well that goes some way to helping. But the video wasn't the main reason why I…"

As Kate spoke, there was a soft knock at the door.

"Victoria? Kate?" It was Max. Victoria looked across to Kate.

"You okay to let her in?" Kate nodded, and Victoria opened the door. Immediately, Max barrelled in, threw her arms around Kate and began crying.

"Kate, I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you!" she wailed. "I was late getting back and…"

"Ssh, Max, it's okay," said Kate, a little shocked by Max's words. "You couldn't have known what was going to happen. I'm just glad Victoria was here for me. Wait…" she paused. "Victoria said you told her to be here. How did you…"

"Kate, before we get into any of that, my friend Chloe is waiting outside. Would you mind if she comes in as well?"

"It's your room, Max."

"Yeah, I know that, but I don't want you to feel crowded or anything like that."

"Chloe?" called Kate, a little weakly. "Come on in." She smiled when she saw the blue-haired punk poke her head around the door.

"You sure, I mean I can wait out here…"

"Come on in, Chloe," said Kate. "Shut the door after you." Chloe did so and sat on the floor while Max continued to sit on the bed, holding Kate tightly. She felt a quick pang of jealously at the way Max was holding Kate, but immediately sent it to the back of her mind.

"How are you, Kate?" asked Chloe. "Max was seriously panicking on the way back here."

"I'm… well, I'm still not brilliant, to be honest," said Kate, attempting a weak smile, "but I'm in a better place than I was about half an hour ago. I didn't… I didn't realise that people actually cared about me." At this, Max hugged Kate tightly, unable to speak. "I mean, I knew Max cared, but… sorry Victoria, but you're the last person I expected to see."

"I know," sniffed Victoria, "and I'm…"

"Victoria, if you try to apologise again I'm going to be very angry at you," said Kate, attempting another smile, this one more successful. "Understand?"

"Yes, miss," said Victoria, which elicited a giggle from both Kate and Max, while Chloe just rolled her eyes. Kate looked across at Chloe, more specifically, at her hair.

"I really like your hair, you know, Chloe," she said, smiling more warmly.

"What, this?" said Chloe, running her hands through her blue locks. "Yeah, it's kinda cool. Think I need to re-do it soon though. The colour's starting to fade a little."

Kate reached out. "Can I?" she asked, and Chloe nodded and sat next to her, allowing Kate to run her hands through her hair. "Ooo, that's lovely, Chloe. It's so… soft, I didn't expect that."

"Victoria, thank you," said Max. "You're a… well, you know what you are. Just… thanks."

"It was the least I could do," said the tall blonde girl. "I guess I'm… not needed now," she continued, standing, but Max stopped her.

"Victoria, wait," she said. "Don't go yet, please. We've… a lot to talk about."

"Oh?" The blonde girl's interest was piqued.

"Yeah. I… I have something of a story to tell. Chloe already knows some of it, but it's time I told her the rest. And… it kinda affects both of you as well."

"Max?" Chloe was looking at her friend with some concern, but Max simply shook her head.

"Chloe, I can't do this on my own. You showed me that. I need to trust you with this. And Kate and Victoria, well, it's going to affect them, too. I trust Kate as well, and… I think I can trust Victoria now."

"Are you sure, Max? I mean, this is a big step," asked Chloe, but Max nodded.

"I know the two of you never really got on too well, but please, do you think you can put that aside for now? Please?"

"Just don't ask me to bond with her or hug her," grumbled Chloe, but she nodded. After a slight hesitation, Victoria nodded too and held out her hand to Chloe.

"I think a ceasefire would be quite nice. I'm sorry for some of the things I said… and did."

"Some?"

"Well, some of them _were_ pretty funny, especially that time I…" grinned Victoria, impishly. "But I think peace in our time would be rather nice. So, truce, Price?"

Chloe let her hang for a moment before taking her hand. "Truce."

"Okay, good. Victoria, can we go to your room for a moment?" asked Max, and the blonde girl nodded, a little confused. "We need to get the envelope," she said. "Chloe, you stay here with Kate, okay?" Victoria stood and she and Max left the room. In her room, Victoria turned to Max.

"Okay, Max, what's going on? We don't need two people to fetch an envelope."

"No, we don't," said Max, taking both of Victoria's hands in her own. "Victoria, you'll never know how grateful I am that you were here for Kate, and please don't take this the wrong way, but Chloe is best placed to help her for the moment. We'll wait here for a few minutes, give the two of them a chance to get to know each other a bit."

"Max, how… you seem to know an awful lot at the moment. You've changed."

Max nodded. "I know," she said, "that's part of the story. Do you have the envelope?"

"Uh, yeah, it's over here," said Victoria, retrieving it. "Do you want it back?"

"No. You keep it, but don't open it until I say so, okay?" Victoria nodded. "I know you're dying to open it now, but please just hold on to it a few minutes more, okay?"

…

"Smooth, Caulfield, real smooth," said Chloe, once she and Kate were alone in Max's room.

"What do you mean?"

"You think it takes two people to fetch an envelope?" Chloe grinned. "No. Either she wanted to talk to Victoria, or she wanted me to talk to you. I'm guessing probably the latter."

"I… don't understand," said Kate, wringing her hands.

"Kate, I know where you were earlier," began Chloe, gently. "I know where you were, and I know what Victoria talked you out of. Max was hella terrified all the back here. But Kate, how do you feel right now?"

"Um, confused."

Chloe looked at Kate. "You know what I mean, Kate. Look, I know you don't know me, but Max has left me here for a reason. I know Max very well, we've known each other since we were little, okay? I trust her with my life, and I _know_ she wouldn't have done this unless she knew I could help you. So, how do you feel?"

"Chloe, I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude…"

"It's ok, marshmallow," said Chloe, smiling gently, then she looked down. "This floor is hella cold, you know." She smiled and looked at Kate. "You mind if I grab some bed with you?" When Kate shook her head, Chloe sat down next to the blonde girl. "Scooch up a bit, would you?" Kate duly obliged and Chloe leaned back a bit, sighing. "Okay, so you don't know me and don't know if you can trust me. That about cover it?" Kate nodded. "Fine. So it also stands to reason that I don't know you and don't know if I can trust you. Yeah?" Kate nodded again. "Well, in that case I think perhaps it's only fair if we get to know each other first. Maybe if I tell you a story about me, I don't know, perhaps some of it might sound a little familiar. How's that sound to you?"

"You don't have to, Chloe."

"I know I don't have to, Kate, but to be honest I need to tell someone. I haven't told Max this, and I don't know if I will, to be honest, but I need to talk to someone, get it off my chest. From what Max tells me, I get the feeling you'll be a good listener, am I right?"

"I don't know, Chloe, I mean, I haven't been in the last few days."

"Well, let's see about that, shall we? If you want me to stop at any point, you just let me know. But I'd like to tell you a story about a little girl, whose name is Chloe. Are you sitting comfortably?" Kate nodded. "Good. Then I'll begin." Kate giggled at that. "Okay, so look, Max told you that we were the best of friends, right?"

"Yeah."

"In all honesty, we were far more than just the best of friends, Kate. We had a connection that went way beyond friendship; we were inseparable. We were sisters, best friends, all rolled into one. We'd know what each other was thinking, how each other was feeling. My mom joked sometimes that it was difficult to tell where Chloe stopped and Max began."

"Sounds like the perfect friendship."

"Oh, it wasn't perfect, Kate. We'd fight and scream at each other sometimes, but we'd always make up afterwards. I could never stay mad at her for long. We were going to be hella best friends for life."

"But she moved away? She told me about that."

"Yeah. Her dad got a promotion, but it meant they moved to Seattle. I was just fourteen, she was thirteen. I mean, it wasn't her fault, she didn't have a choice in the matter, but you know, I begged her not to go. The night before she was due to leave, we had a sleepover at my house and I pleaded with her not to go. We cried together for hours. Totally ruined our last night together. We promised to stay in touch, that we would be best friends forever. She promised she'd come back to Arcadia as soon as she was able, and I believed her. Then they left. To say I was devastated is a total understatement. I mean, it almost killed me, Kate. Max was my only friend, and with her gone, I was so alone I couldn't function. It was like my right arm had been cut off. All I could do during the day was think about Max, and then I'd cry myself to sleep every night. My Mom was really worried about me, that I couldn't let go. I knew then, I knew, at _that_ point, I knew… I knew…"

"You knew that you loved her?" said Kate, gently.

"I already knew that, Kate. We'd told each other often enough, although it was like best friend slash sister love. But yes, I knew then that I _really_ loved her, I mean capital 'L' sort of love. She was the other half of my soul. I think that the day she left, a part of my soul died."

"This isn't a happy story, is it, Chloe?"

"You guessed? Anyway, so she left, and I was devastated, but we'd promised to stay in touch, so there was that. Every morning I'd wait for the postman to come, and every evening I'd have the phone by my side, waiting for her to ring. When she didn't ring in the first week, I guessed that she was too busy settling in, maybe they hadn't had the phone or internet connected up, that sort of thing, but as time went on and there were no letters, no phone calls, no email, no texts, nothing, well, I began to realise that Max was no longer a part of my life." Unknowingly, Kate had taken a hold of Chloe's hands and now reached up to wipe away a solitary tear from her left cheek.

"Chloe…"

"I have to finish, Kate, or I'll never finish. I went through all the phases, denial, anger, acceptance. I mean, to cap it all, the week that Max left my dad had died in a car accident, so I had that to deal with as well, but with Max leaving, I know it sounds horrible, but with Max gone, my dad's death seemed almost secondary. I mean, my dad was dead, he was gone, but Max was only in Seattle. The fact that she wasn't writing or phoning really fucking hurt me. She can never know just how much it hurt, Kate, I can't do that to her. I know her, she'd never forgive herself; I mean she's having a hard enough time as it is. Anyway, so let's fast forward a year. Exactly a year. The anniversary of Max's leaving me. I think by that point I pretty much believed that Max had forgotten me and moved on, but the anniversary brought it all back. That week I'd been unbearable in the house, I'm ashamed of the way I treated my mother. She's a fucking saint, my mother, to put up with me."

"She loves you, even though you use curse words, which you shouldn't do," said Kate, squeezing Chloe's hands, and Chloe smiled.

"Yeah, I know, and I love her. I don't tell her that enough. Hardcore exterior and all that."

"Chloe, I don't think she cares how you are, as long as you're her daughter. I think she'd be over the moon if you told her."

"Probably." Chloe chuckled and looked at Kate knowingly. "Okay, you convinced me. Damn girl, ten minutes in and already you're getting through my defences. I can see why Max thinks the world of you."

"Us."

"What?"

"Us. She thinks the world of us, Chloe. Don't ever think she doesn't."

"Um, yeah, ok," said Chloe. "Anyway, the night of the anniversary, I walked up to the lighthouse. It's somewhere that Max and I had spent a lot of time in the past, and I just went for a long walk after an argument and found myself there. It was a perfect evening, no wind at all, and I just sat on the bench there in silence, feeling the tension grow in me. Eventually I start screaming into the night, and then that turned into tears and I cried for what seemed like hours. Kate, I've never cried so much, I cried until it hurt, but I couldn't stop. Everything came crashing back – my dad dying, Max leaving and not contacting me. I felt totally alone, Kate. Everyone I loved had left me, and I knew that my mother no longer loved me, the way I'd been treating her, so I went to the edge and looked down." There were tears running down Chloe's face now. "I wasn't thinking about whether or not to jump, that was a given. I was thinking instead about practical things. How long will it take to reach the bottom? Will it hurt? Will I succeed, or will I just break something and cripple myself, or worse?" Silent tears were now streaming down Kate's face, and she was just nodding her head, over and over again.

"What stopped you? Did someone come and talk to you?"

"No," laughed Chloe, in between her tears. "In the end, I didn't jump because I wasn't one hundred percent sure it would work. I basically bottled it completely, like the coward I am."

"Chloe, you can't think of yourself as a coward."

"Oh?"

"Look at how strong you are for Max. And I know how upset she was last night. I don't know all the details, but you sneaking in to apologise this morning absolutely made her day. That took an amazing amount of courage. And… and… considering where I've just been, I don't think courage is needed to jump now. I think courage is needed to _not_ jump, to continue on with life, to fight. You did that, Chloe, and now I'm going to as well. The only difference is that you were alone. I'm not, I know that now. And look where your courage got you. Max is back in your life."

"Yeah." Chloe sat in silence for a few moments, before Kate pulled her into a surprisingly warm hug. They stayed like that for a while, before Chloe pulled away. "Thanks for listening to me, I needed to get that off my chest."

"It was my pleasure, Chloe," said Kate. "I… I'm not ready to talk about me yet, but… thanks. I think we both know where I was today on that rooftop. If Victoria hadn't shown up…"

"Let's just be glad that Max phoned her when she did."

"How did she know?"

"Not something I can tell you, Kate. I'm sure Max will reveal all soon."

"Thanks, Chloe," said Kate, pulling Chloe into another hug as the door opened and Max and Victoria walked back in.

"Looks like you… talked," said Max, smiling and looking at Chloe questioningly and receiving an imperceptible nod in return. "Excellent." Kate nodded and held her arms out to Max for another embrace, one which Max was happy to reciprocate.

"Max, I know you weren't on the roof with me today," she said, "but it feels like you had a hand in everything. From what Victoria and Chloe have said, I think that without you, I wouldn't be here right now. Max, thanks for caring so much about me."

"Kate, we all care about you, even if sometimes we get caught up in our own little dramas," said Max, and Chloe nodded, pushing Max out of the way and pulling Kate into another hug.

"Max, I like this one," she said, grinning and keeping her arm around Kate. "Can we keep her? She's like a lovely cuddly sweet marshmallow!"

"Chloe!" sighed Max in resignation. "I'm sorry, Kate, I think you might have stolen Chloe away from me. I hope you know what you're getting yourself into."

"Ma-a-ax," grinned Chloe, pouting and Max started giggling. Soon Kate joined her and Victoria, unable to keep a straight face, found herself genuinely laughing with her new… friends? They laughed together for a while, before Max grew serious.

"Okay, I can't put this off any more," she said. "Kate, will you help me make a pot of tea? I think we're gonna need it."


	15. 14 Truth

"So," said Max, comfortably sat on the bed with Kate and Chloe, while Victoria sat on the chair by the desk, "you've probably noticed that the last couple of days, I've sort of known a few things I probably shouldn't have known."

"I noticed something," said Victoria. "Uh, Kate, excuse me for asking, but, um, you know earlier on the… uh… roof, have you done anything like that before?"

"You mean when I…" Victoria nodded and Kate shook her head. "No, of course not! I mean, it's not something you exactly do every…"

"It's okay, Kate," said Victoria. "I only asked because of something Max said when she rang me. She was terrified, and I'm not sure she knew everything she was saying, but she said that she wouldn't be there to stop you this time. This time. Like she'd done it before."

"Did I say that?" asked Max, screwing up her face when Victoria nodded. "Shit. Well done for noticing, I guess." She nodded herself. "That's part of it, yes." She drew a deep breath. "So, this is going to sound totally insane. It was insane when I told Chloe, but she believes me now and I need the two of you to believe me as well. Okay, here goes. I'm just going to say it and you can shout at me afterwards." She drew another deep breath. "The reason I know things is because I've already lived this week once, and I'm living it again now, so I kind of know certain things that are going to happen." She stopped talking and looked around the room. Chloe, as she expected was smiling and trying to look as supportive as possible. However, Kate and Victoria were looking pretty much as she'd expected. Stunned.

"You…" Victoria managed a single word, which was more than Kate could manage. She just sat there, her mouth open.

"Yeah," said Chloe, noticing the look on Victoria's face. "That was basically my response as well."

"That's not… possible," said Kate, finally. "I mean, how could you…"

"Maybe it's an idea to start at the beginning, Max," said Chloe, gently. "It's a lot to take in. So, last week, you felt dizzy in class…"

"… and I went to the bathroom," said Max, grateful for Chloe's help. "Kate, I'd just spoken to you at the end of Mr Jefferson's class. This was, um, Monday afternoon."

"Yesterday, you mean?" said Kate.

"Uh, yeah, although for me it was a week ago yesterday. Anyway, I went to the bathroom and while I was there, Nathan showed up with a gun. So did Chloe. She wanted to talk to him, but he went nuts and shot her. They didn't know I was there, hiding in the corner. I watched her die in front me…"

"…oh my!" gasped Kate, putting her hand to her mouth.

"… but then I raised my hand and I found myself back in Mr Jefferson's class, ten minutes earlier. Look, I don't know the why's or wherefore's, only what happened. And I swear to you everything I'm telling you is the truth, okay? So I went back in the bathroom and set off the fire alarm when Nathan and Chloe were arguing, and I was able to stop Nathan from shooting Chloe, although I have to confess I didn't know it was Chloe at the time. I mean, I hadn't seen her in five years and she's changed… quite a lot." Chloe grinned and took Max's hand.

"It's the hair," she said.

"Anyway, I got through the week, just about…"

"Hey, wait a sec," said Victoria. "You can't just say that you suddenly had time travel powers and then not tell us what happened, um, what's going to happen, oh, you know what I mean!"

"I'll come to that, Victoria, okay? For the moment, just accept that I got through the week. It wasn't easy, but at the end something terrible happened and I… I mean Chloe convinced me to rewind back to the beginning of the week and... and…" Her eyes began filling with tears, and Chloe noticed, quickly putting her arm around her friend. "She convinced me to go back and not stop Nathan from shooting her, but I couldn't do it, so I'm here, living through the week again."

"I did… what?" Chloe snapped her head around. "Why the fuck would I… uh, sorry Kate… do that?"

"Because a huge storm is going to hit Arcadia Bay on Friday and we were convinced that it came because I was using my rewind powers," said Max, dropping her head. "But the thing is, I've had the visions again, the storm is still coming, but I've not used them at all this week. So I'm trying to do everything the same as before, but all I'm doing is just screwing things up. The more I try and keep them the same, the more they change. So, to be honest, I'm struggling here, guys. Hence why I'm here, talking to you guys."

"Max," said Victoria, "I have to be honest with you. It sounds a fantastic story for a video game, but that's not possible in real life, is it? I mean, you sound like you're telling the truth, and your eyes say you're telling the truth, but you can't possibly be. Can you?"

"She is," said Chloe. "This morning, in the diner, she told me things she couldn't possibly have known. And then… later on… she told me something that…"

"We'll come to that part later on, Chloe," said Max, resting her head on her best friend's shoulder. "I need Kate and Victoria to totally believe me, and I think there's only one way I can do that." She motioned to the envelope. "Victoria, tell Chloe and Kate what that is."

"This?" Victoria picked up the white envelope. "Um, well, I don't know actually. Max gave me this last night with strict instructions not to open it until, well, now?" Max nodded and Victoria slid her finger underneath the seal of the envelope. "You have no idea how many times I've wanted to open this today," she said, "but I managed to resist."

"I know," said Max, "one of the reasons I know can trust you. Read it out loud," she continued as Victoria unfolded a piece of paper from inside the envelope.

"Victoria," she read, "I hope that you haven't opened this ahead of time. If you have, please put it back in the envelope and wait, otherwise nothing on this note will happen properly. Things might not happen exactly as this either, but here goes. At some point early this morning, you and Taylor will ambush Kate in the showers. You'll tease her about her new celebrity status and write the website address on a mirror with lipstick. I'll be in one of the shower cubicles and I'll wipe it off after you leave. Oh, and before that you'll have a go at Courtney because she didn't bring some homework papers for you. I don't know what else will happen to you between then and eleven-ish, but just after Mr Jefferson's class starts, Kate will run off and Zach will announce that something is happening at the girls' dorms. You probably won't see that this time, because I've asked you to be at the stairwell. If everything goes to plan, you will see me talk to Kate before she gets a chance to go up to the roof. Afterwards, I get called into the Principal's office with Nathan and I'm suspended for making false accusations against him," Victoria looked up at Max with an open mouth. "You signed the note with last night's date and time. Max, okay, I get that things have changed, but _how did you know?_ "

"That is simply a note describing what happened to me last week, Victoria. I know that today, things happened slightly differently…"

"But I _did_ have a go at Courtney this morning, and Taylor and I _did_ see Kate in the shower, although…"

"I know, I was there, Victoria. You looked like you didn't want to be involved. I was hoping that taking the video down would have solved it, but…"

"Yeah. Taylor put paid to that. I'll be having a word with her, Kate," said Victoria. "That video is history. In fact, I think that Taylor and I will upload an apology video…"

"That's sweet, Victoria," said Kate, "but that would ruin you. There's no need for you to do that, honestly. Just taking the video down will help me. Plus, if you continue to be as sweet as you are now…" To her credit, Victoria looked slightly abashed at the compliment and Chloe noticeably coughed.

"Um," said the punk, "if we can get back to the matter at hand…"

"Sure," said Victoria, turning slightly red but looking at Max seriously. "Okay Max, fantastic as it might sound, I think I'm on board with you. Not sure entirely why I believe you, but I do."

"I trust you, Max," said Kate holding on to Max's arm, smiling and Max felt a warm sensation pulse through her body at Kate's trust.

"Okay, so Team Max is up and running," said Chloe, clapping her hands and rubbing them together. "What now?"

"Well, now Max tells us the rest of the story," said Victoria. "But it seems like things have changed. I think we managed to get Kate off the roof before anyone saw her, so perhaps you won't get suspended, Max."

"I'm not sure," said Kate, shaking her head. "I think some people might have seen…"

"Shit," said Max. "Oh well, I guess we'll see."

"There's something _I_ want to know, though," said Chloe.

"Just the one thing?"

"It's about Rachel."

"Rachel Amber?" said Kate. "Isn't she the girl that's missing?" She snapped her fingers. "I _knew_ you seemed familiar, Chloe. I've seen you putting up those posters around campus."

"Yeah, that was me," said Chloe. "Uh, Max and I… well, um, she said…"

"Last week, we found Rachel," said Max, sadly. "Or rather, we found her body." Kate gasped and clapped her hand to her mouth, while Victoria looked vaguely ill. She took a deep breath and excused herself; her footsteps could be heard running to the bathroom. Kate looked at the door, then back at Chloe.

"I didn't know her, Chloe, I'm so sorry. It must have been a shock."

"Finding her body? I mean, I don't know. That was… another me from last week. But yeah, it was a hella shock when Max told me this morning. We didn't 'discover' her body though, Max said we can't do that yet. Although…"

"… you feel distant from it? Like it's not really true."

"How did you know? Damn Kate, you're perceptive," said Chloe, but Kate gently smiled.

"I observe, Chloe," she said, "and it's a natural reaction to have when you've just been told something awful like that." She put her arm around Chloe. "It'll get harder when you can actually see her body, Chloe. Just promise me you won't be alone when that happens. Please make sure that Max is with you. O… or me."

"You'd do that for me?"

"Of course! Why wouldn't I want to help my friend?"

"Kate, I can see why Max so values you. You're a fucking saint. Uh, sorry, Kate," she said, but Kate was positively glowing from the praise. They all looked up as Victoria knocked and came back in. "You okay, dude?"

"Yeah. Sorry," said Victoria, wiping her mouth. "I… it was a shock, you know."

"How are you feeling?" asked Max.

"Better, thanks," she answered, looking hesitantly from Chloe to Kate and back. Several times she opened her mouth, but then seemed to shrink back into herself. Instinctively, Max smiled inwardly. She knew exactly what Victoria wanted, and to see this vulnerable side of her was… refreshing.

"Want a hug?" asked Max, one corner of her mouth turning upwards as she opened her arms. Victoria just nodded and gratefully accepted Max's embrace, tears falling from her cheekbones.

"I… I wasn't nice to her, Max," she murmured.

"I know," whispered Max. "I saw the posters in your room last week."

"Wait, I… let you in my room last week?"

"Um, not exactly," said Max. "I… the door was sort of open and…"

"Did you take anything?"

"No! Of course not!" said Max, vehemently. "I wouldn't dream of…"

"It's okay, Max, don't worry," said Victoria. "But I hated her. I hated everything about her. How beautiful she was, how easy things seemed to be for her…"

"It's okay, um, Tori", said Max. "You were just jealous, that's all."

"How can I be jealous of a dead girl, Max? I mean, what does that say about me?"

"Just that you're a human being, Tori," said Max. "Nobody's perfect."

"And I didn't learn, Max, and Kate nearly…" Max didn't reply, just held Victoria while she quietly sobbed, eventually calming down and disentangling herself from Max.

"So Max, um, you missed out a few things in your story," said Kate, a little timidly, handing out another cup of tea to everyone.

"I know, there's quite a bit I haven't told you," said Max, "but it's getting into the really difficult stuff that's really not easy to talk about, and… why are you grinning, Chloe?" She looked at her friend, who was desperately trying (and failing) to hide a grin.

"Difficult stuff that's really not easy to talk about? What does that even mean, Max?" she said, still grinning, but her grin faltered when she saw Max's bottom lip quivering. In a flash she'd stood up and crossed the room to her friend, while Victoria went and sat on the bed with Kate. "Shit, dude, I'm sorry, I didn't realise…"

"You know what, Chloe?" said Max. "By the end of last week, out of everyone in this room, I was the only one who hadn't died."

"What?"

"Max…" Victoria was looking at Max now, really concerned. "Are you saying…"

"What I have to say from now on will be really tough on all of you," said Max, biting her lip again and leaning into Chloe, "but again it's all the truth. I swear."

"I believe you, dude," said Chloe, squeezing her friend's shoulders. "Just… just tell us, I guess. I can see it's eating you up, dude."

"Chloe," said Max. "You've not actually asked me what happened to Rachel…"

"I know."

"I thought you'd have been chomping at the bit…"

"I was…" Chloe's voice trailed off into nothing.

"Chloe?"

"Price, nothing you say will leave these walls," said Victoria. "We're all friends in here."

"I was… afraid, okay? You made me promise not to go running off to do something stupid that could get us both killed. I didn't trust myself, so I thought I wouldn't bring it up." She hung her head, but Max was having none of it.

"Chloe, that's…"

"… hella stupid…" said Chloe, but Victoria shook her head.

"No, that's really smart," she said. "I know what you were like last year, Price, and that… well, I'm impressed."

"Gee, thanks, Chase," said Chloe. "That's so reassuring." She caught herself. "Sorry."

"No, I mean it, uh, Chloe," said Victoria. "But Max, I think you need to tell us the rest now."

"Okay," said Max, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "This is going to be hard for you to accept. Victoria, you particularly. Look, I can't tell you what happened to Rachel yet, it won't make sense, I'll come to that a little later, but I can tell you who was responsible."

"Who?" Kate's voice trembled. "Do we know them?"

"I'm so sorry, Tori, but it was Nathan."

" _What?_ " Chloe's head snapped around. "No fucking way, Max, no way."

"Nathan…" Kate's voice drifted off, but Victoria was glaring at Max.

"Caulfield, that is some sicking fucking joke you're playing." She laughed. "You had me going for a while, but seriously, if you expect me to believe…"

"It's true, Tori," said Max, quietly. "I'm really sorry, but it's true."

"I mean, sure, he can be a bit unstable at times, but he'd never…"

"Never what," asked Max. "He attacked me _and_ you yesterday, let alone what he did to Kate."

"Max?"

"Sorry Kate, I know what happened to you as well, I'll come to that in a minute, but Nathan had a hand in that as well. Actually, more than just a hand."

"Max, perhaps you'd better start from the beginning," said Chloe, and Max nodded.

"Kate, do you mind if I tell them what you told me, um, last week and this morning?" Kate nodded and Max continued. "Well, Kate told me what happened to her at the Vortex Club party, and I figured out that her drink had been spiked with GHB. I suspected Nathan, mainly because Kate told me that he'd taken her out of the party, saying he'd take her to the hospital, but she had no memory of anything that night, apart from a couple of bright lights and she woke up the next morning outside her dorm. Tori, you figured she'd just got herself wasted, but she only had one sip of wine, and the wine tasted bitter and salty."

"Bitter? Salty?" said Chloe. "Sounds like GHB. Shit Katie-pie, that sucks."

"You asked me if you should go to the police, Kate," said Max, "and I gave you the same answer this morning as I did last week, which was that I didn't believe the police would do anything, because Nathan's father is so influential."

"Shit, he practically owns the police," scoffed Chloe, and Max nodded.

"Exactly. So, Chloe and I set about getting the evidence we needed, plus we were looking for Rachel as well. We didn't realise at the time that both were related."

"Dude, you can't go to the police to complain about a Prescott," said Chloe, and Victoria nodded.

"Much as it pains me to agree with Price," she said, "she's right. All Nathan has ever had to do was ring his father, and everything would be sorted."

"I was suspended last week because I told Principal Wells that Nathan had drugged you," said Max. "Anyway, to cut a long story short, and yes, Chloe, I'm cutting it short because parts of it still give me nightmares… we found that we were right. Nathan _had_ drugged Kate, and we found out that he hadn't taken her to the hospital, he took her to this creepy place his family own. There's a bunker underneath set up like a photo studio. We found loads of evidence down there linking him to that studio, and there were loads of binders full of pictures. It had been going on for years. Girls were being drugged, kidnapped and photographed. We're talking some serious shit here, twenty, maybe thirty girls. Maybe even more. We didn't exactly count."

"You mean I was…" Kate's eyes were welling up quickly and her breathing was becoming ragged. Immediately, Victoria drew the girl close.

"I'm sorry Kate, but yes, there was a binder with your name on it. A… and one for Rachel." Max's head dropped. "And you, Victoria."

"Me? Nathan had… wait a minute, Max, I've never been…"

"No, the binder was empty. You were next." Victoria's jaw dropped. "Rachel's photographs showed that she was… well, not alive, and they showed where she was buried. Chloe, this is why I made you promise. We rushed to the junkyard and dug her up, you then totally lost it and vowed to kill Nathan, whatever it took. You wouldn't listen to me; it was all I could do to follow you. We went to the Vortex Club party to look for him. Victoria, I warned you there about you being in danger, and you believed me. We'd had a heart to heart the night before, which is how I knew you had a better side."

"Anyone else think this is weird?" said Victoria, to two other solemn nods. "I mean, you're telling me things we did together that I… well, I didn't do. But I did. In another timeline, and…"

"I found it's best not to try and overthink it, to be honest," said Max. "But, as it turned out, warning you was the worst thing I could have done. Because we didn't know that Nathan wasn't working on his own. We figured that his father was bankrolling him, I mean, that studio had thousands of dollars of equipment there… it was professionally kitted out. But we were wrong. It wasn't his father, and in an effort to be safe, you ended up with the real villain. The real person who tricked us, Chloe. He shot you in front of me, then drugged and kidnapped Victoria and me, killed Victoria and then kept me captive for almost a day in the Dark Room. He was about to kill me too when David rescued me, Chloe. I mean, I was seconds from death. _That's_ how I know _he_ has a better side, too."

"Shit, I was wondering why you were being nice to step-shit," said Chloe.

"Chloe, we have to have a talk about him, okay? You really need to give him a chance, but we'll talk about that later."

"So, who _was_ behind it all?" said Victoria. Max noticed that Kate had receded out of the conversation completely now and was simply rocking back and forth in Victoria's arms, her eyes darting from Max to Victoria to Chloe, and back to Max in a circle of horror.

"As I said," continued Max, "Nathan wasn't working alone. He simply doesn't have the talent or intelligence to keep that so well hidden on his own. So who do you think set up the professional, secret photography studio, using the Prescott fortune to finance it, all in order to drug and kidnap young girls and photograph them, in an obsession to perfectly capture the essence of innocence, and took Nathan under his wing to teach him his secrets? Who also killed Nathan when his secret was discovered in an effort to frame Nathan for everything?" Max noticed that all three girls were now looking at her in absolute horror, their mouths open. "Remember, Victoria," she said. " _Always take the shot…_ "

"Fuck… No! You can't be serious…" Victoria clapped her hand over her mouth as she felt a cold chill wash down her spine.

"You mean it was…"

"Mr Jefferson?" Kate's face was ashen. "He… photographed me? He did all those things…"

"I'm sorry, Kate, but yes, he did," said Max. "But he's not going to hurt anyone else. We're going to take him down. Again."

"So how did we find him last week?"

"Through our search for Nathan."

"So all we have to do is go back up there and, like, re-discover it?" asked Chloe, but Max shook her head.

"No way. I'm not going anywhere near that place again," she said, supressing a shiver. "I can't, Chloe. I'm sorry, I can't even remember where it is."

"What?"

"I only went there once while I was conscious. I spent, with rewinds, something like three days down there with Jeffershit pawing all over me. Chloe, you can't understand what that was like for me." Max began breathing quicker. "I… I can't go through that again." Chloe noticed her friend's discomfort and immediately drew her close.

"Hey, shit, dude, I totally understand," said Chloe. "It's okay. We just have to figure it out again, just like we did last week. Then we can set Sergeant Pepper on him, right? Um, so how did we find out?"

"We used David's files, Nathan's phone, and Frank's logbook to pinpoint where Nathan took Kate on the night of the party," said Max, shuddering at the memory.

"Okay, so we do that again tomorrow, and then give the evidence to step-dildo." Max nodded.

"And Victoria, please don't go and meet Jeffershit tonight. Now that you know everything, you just can't. I've managed to avoid him completely so far, I don't trust myself to talk to him civilly at the moment after what he did to me, you, Kate and Chloe. And Rachel, and all the others."

"Meet… Max, why would you think…" Victoria's face dropped. "Fucking… shit, sorry Kate. Max, what did I _do_ last week?"

"You sneaked out after curfew tonight to meet him. You, um, flirted with him quite obviously and got quite annoyed when he blew you off. Um, then you tried to blackmail him." Max looked sheepish, but Victoria was just gazing at her in horror. "Sorry."

"Dude, I'm already hella confused, and now you're talking about future events in the past tense?" Chloe shook her head, but Max was watching Kate with a worried look.

"Kate, I'm sorry, I know it's been a totally shit day today for you, but…"

"It's okay, Max. You're right, of course, it hasn't been the best of days, but it hasn't been all bad," said Kate, quietly. "I've got two new friends now, and I know that you're looking out for me, in any timeline. Like, you're my guardian angel. As for what you've told us tonight," she shrugged, "it's in my past, there's nothing I can do about it now, and at least I know I wasn't going crazy, and I wasn't to blame. It'll just take a little while to process, but… I'll be okay, Max. Especially if I can count on all your support" She smiled warmly at Max, who nodded, and both Victoria and Chloe pledged their support to her, too. "Thanks guys."

"One thing I don't quite get," said Victoria.

"Just the one thing?" laughed Chloe.

"If you were trying to keep things the same, why have you told us? I mean, everything's changed now, surely?"

"Yeah, but it had changed anyway," said Max. "I realised that the more I tried to keep things the same, the more I was changing them. Plus, I was basically manipulating things, and manipulating my friends, and that's not nice." She looked at Chloe. "Um, you were right last night. Manipulating you just isn't cool, even if I do lo… I mean, look out for you and only have your best interests at heart." She smiled, her heart beating wildly at the slip of her tongue, hoping that Chloe hadn't noticed. "But now, out of the four things I wanted to achieve this week, I've already achieved two of them, and the third one will now be a team effort."

"What are they?" said Kate.

"Well, to stop you from jumping for one, and to get through to Victoria's better side for two. Stopping Jeffershit was third…"

"… and saving me?"

"No. I mean, yes, saving you was part of the plan, but it wasn't one of the four things."

"So what was the fourth?" said Chloe, but Max just grinned.

"Sorry, Chlo, I can't tell you. Not yet, anyway. It, er… hasn't happened yet and I really don't want to mess it up." She smiled apologetically, and Chloe nodded.

"Okay, Maximus, I…" She stopped talking at a sharp rap of the door.

"Hello?"

"Step-shit?" mouthed Chloe. "What's he doing here?"

"Miss Caulfield?"

Max looked around the room. "One second!" she called, and went over to the door. It was indeed David Madsen and he looked slightly apologetic.

"I'm sorry to bother you, Miss Caulfield…"

"Max, please, Mr Madsen."

"Okay, Max. Look, I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm looking for both you and Miss Marsh."

"Oh, she's in here with me."

"Ah, good. I'm here to escort the two of you to Principal Wells. He'd like to see you both."

"About what?"

"Ah, I don't rightly know, miss…" Max just looked at him.

"Mr Madsen, please don't insult my intelligence, you know pretty much everything that goes on around here."

"You're right, Max. I'm sorry. Look, I'm not supposed to say anything…"

"…but…"

Madsen dropped his head slowly. "Look, Miss Marsh was seen on the roof earlier, and, following your accusation of Nathan, the principal wants to talk to you both." He dropped his voice. "Just be careful what you say, okay?"

"Okay. Give me a moment, will you?" She closed the door and faced her three friends. "Kate, we need to go and see the principal. I'm sorry, but it looks like someone saw you on the roof and reported it." Kate looked concerned, so she carried on hurriedly. "It's okay, Kate, I'll be with you. I won't leave you, okay? Right, you two, play nice. Chloe, you'd better get out of here before David catches you. Tori, don't go meet Jeffershit tonight, okay?" They nodded and Max held out her hand to Kate, who smiled and took it gratefully.


	16. 15 Wells of Lies

"No way!"

"Max?"

"I'm sorry, Mr Madsen, but there's no way Kate is going in there on her own." Madsen nodded and led both Max and Kate into the principal's office, where Max was horrified, but not really surprised, to see both Jefferson and Nathan in there waiting. She looked back at Madsen with pleading in her eyes, but he just shook his head sadly. She could see that Kate was beginning to get worked up; her breathing had quickened and her hand was becoming clammy, so she stopped and put her lips to Kate's ear. "Ssh, Kate, it'll be okay," she whispered. "Don't look at them. Just look straight ahead at Principal Wells, okay? Tunnel vision, Kate, tunnel vision. Don't look at them, and say as little as possible. You went up there to get some air or something, that's all. Understand?" She saw Kate nod almost imperceptibly. "I'll be right there with you, okay? Right by your side. Remember, you are not alone." She summoned every ounce of strength she could muster and walked into the room, Kate right behind her. She showed Kate to a seat, making a point to sit between Kate and Nathan, even though it meant sitting next to Nathan herself, something that made her skin crawl, but she took her own advice and refused to look to her right, or even to acknowledge that there was someone sitting next to her.

"Thank you for coming in, Miss Caulfield, Miss Marsh," said the principal, sitting at his desk. Max was sat opposite him, with Nathan to her right and Kate to her left. Madsen was standing by the door behind them, and Jefferson to the left of Kate. Even though she knew he was there, Max made every effort to avoid looking in his direction, while simultaneously trying not to make it too obvious she _wasn't_ looking at him. She made sure to keep hold of Kate's right hand, to let the girl know she was safe. Her own heart was beating wildly as she tried desperately to ignore Nathan's deliberately loud breathing as he sat next to her. "I've asked you here today to clear up a few things, so I would appreciate it if you both spoke the truth. Am I understood?"

Max felt sick at the insinuation, but kept her feelings hidden as she set a neutral expression. "Of course, sir." She gave Kate's hand a quick squeeze, and was rewarded with one in return.

"Miss Marsh, I'll come to you first, if that's ok." Wells regarded Kate, and Max felt her tremble a little under the scrutiny. "Now, I've heard some disturbing reports about you this afternoon. One of the students said she saw you on the roof of the girls' dorms. Is there anything you'd like to talk to me about?" Max gave Kate's hand another gentle squeeze.

"I'm sorry if I've given anyone cause for alarm, Mr Wells," she said. "I wasn't feeling too well, and I think I got a little turned around. I found myself up there and thought I'd get some fresh air before I went down. I thought perhaps I'd get some peace and quiet up there, but I can see how people might have taken it differently.."

"Are you sure, Miss Marsh?" Wells leaned forward and placed his chin on his hands, propped up on his elbows. "She said you seemed… well, troubled."

"Mr Wells, I'll admit I haven't been the happiest person around campus these last few days, but I'm feeling a lot better today. Especially since I talked to Max here." She looked to her right and smiled at Max.

"You didn't seem okay earlier, when you ran off before my class," offered Jefferson. It was the first time Max had heard him speak since she'd been in the Dark Room, and her blood turned to ice in her veins and began pounding in her ears.

 _"Christ, look at that perfect face. See? No vanity or posing. Just… pure… unadulterated… expression. Perfect."_

"Max?" Kate had turned to look at her friend, noticing how Max's breathing had become somewhat ragged, and she was immediately concerned to see Max's face, set in a stony expression as she struggled for breath. She let go of Max's hand and looked around the room for help.

 _"Max! You fucked up my shot! Again!"_

Nathan was completely ignoring Max, reading something on his phone and humming quietly, Jefferson looked as concerned as Wells, but it was Madsen who actually spoke.

"Miss Marsh," he said, stepping forward, "what's wrong?"

At first, Kate felt like screaming 'can't you see?' at him, but she soon realised that where he was standing, he couldn't see anything wrong with Max. "Uh, it's Max, sir," she said, putting her left hand on Max's arm, noticing how sweaty her skin had become, and using her right hand to rub her friend's trembling back. "I don't think she's well. I think it might be an anxiety attack."

 _"That's it, much better. Thanks Max. You see, it's so much better when you co-operate."_

Max felt the blood pounding in her ears, getting louder and louder, but she couldn't move. Her stomach was cramping up and amidst the pain she was vaguely aware that she was sucking in air far more quickly than usual, although she was becoming light headed and flashing alternately hot and cold.

 _"Do you feel it, Max? Do you feel that we are, well… intimately acquainted?"_

Madsen stepped forward, concerned. Nathan was still completely ignoring Max, so he pulled the boy's chair away in order to get room to kneel next to the young girl. She was beginning to hyperventilate and the veins on her neck were standing out as she strained forward, desperately sucking in air at a rate of knots. He shook his head and turned to Kate. "You're right," he said, "she's having an anxiety attack," he said. "There's nothing we can do for the moment except make sure she's comfortable." He looked around the room. "We should give her some space," he continued, motioning to the others and, somewhat reluctantly, Wells, Jefferson and Nathan stepped out, leaving Max and Kate alone in the principal's office. Madsen looked at Kate. "You know what to do?"

"Yes sir," she said, as Madsen nodded and left as well.

 _"Remember your place here, please. I'm the photographer. You are my subject. You don't choose the shots. I do."_

Immediately, Kate pushed her chair away and continued to rub Max's back. She put her head close to her friend and began to whisper to her. "Max," she began, "it's Kate. I'm here for you. I'm not leaving you. Come on, breathe with me." She breathed in, a long inhale, and a long, slow exhale. She put her hand on Max's chest. "In," she whispered, and was glad to see some response as Max tried to regulate her breathing. "Out," she whispered, "that's it, come on. In, out."

 _"Simply put, I'm… obsessed, I guess you could say… with the idea of capturing that moment that innocence evolves into corruption."_

The pounding in her head began to dissipate, and Max slowly became more aware of her surroundings. She was in the principal's office, and she could hear a gentle whispering in her ear that sounded like…

 _"Kate, Kate, Kate. She could have been my ultimate masterpiece. Her innocence was stunning, second only to you, I think."_

"Max, come back to me. I'm here with you, Max Caulfield. I'm not leaving you." Max was brought back to reality by Kate's voice. "Come on, count down with me. One hundred. Ninety-nine, ninety-eight. Max, count with me. Ninety-seven…"

"Ninety-six," whispered Max, "ninety-five…"

"That's good, Max," said Kate. "Ninety-four, ninety-three…"

"Ninety-two," said Max. She felt reality warp back into place around her, shook her head to try and clear it, looked over to Kate and nodded weakly. "I'm here, Kate," she said, and she could see the relief on Kate's face. "Ninety-one, ninety."

"Oh thank the Lord," she said, smiling. "You… scared me, Max."

"Sorry about that," said Max, looking around. "Where are…"

"Mr Madsen led them out to give you some space," said Kate. "What happened?"

"I don't know," said Max, slowly, trying to remember. "It was just after Jefferson spoke, and suddenly I was back in the Dark Room, all I could hear was his voice, taunting me, telling me about his sick schemes… and you." She laid her face in her hands. "Kate, what happened to me?"

"I think you had an anxiety attack," said Kate. "I'm not surprised, really. After everything you've been through, and… was this the first time you've seen Mr Jefferson since… since…"

"Yes," said Max, nodding her head.

"Then… wait, you said it was after he spoke. I think that's the first time you'd heard his voice since you were… that would make sense." She stopped talking to go over it in her head and Max let her think. "I think I know what happened, Max. It was the first time you'd heard his voice, and you experienced a flashback to the… what did you call it?"

"The Dark Room."

"The Dark Room," repeated Kate, "yes, that's right. A flashback to there." She pursed her lips. "Max, I think you may be suffering from PTSD. In fact, I wouldn't be at all surprised if you were. No, it's nothing to be ashamed of," she continued quickly as Max began to protest, "and we'll talk about it later. The important thing is not to be on your own too much, especially if you're going to experience things which might trigger a flashback, which, considering your unique situation, is entirely likely." She said all this very quickly, but then stopped and looked at Max. "Are you okay to have them back in? We need to get this over and done with." Max nodded and Kate opened the door and called the others back in.

"Miss Caulfield, how are you feeling?" asked Wells, once they were all sat back down.

"Better now, sir," said Max. "I'm not sure what happened there, but I'm feeling much better."

"Are you sure, Miss Caulfield?" he said. "That seemed quite serious. I think I'd better call the nurse."

"No thank you, sir," said Max, "I'm fine, really. Kate helped me, and I'll get some rest once I'm back in my room. I think I'm just a little de-hydrated. Really, I'm fine, but thank you for your concern."

"Are you sure?" said the principal. "It's no problem to call the nurse…"

"No, please, I'm fine," insisted Max.

"Well, if you're sure." Wells didn't seem convinced, but he continued anyway. "Now, where were we?" he said. "Ah yes, Mr Jefferson, you said that Kate had seemed upset when she ran out of your class this morning." Jefferson opened his mouth to continue, but Kate, to her own surprise, interrupted him.

"Mr Jefferson," she said, hesitantly, but her voice strong, "I asked you for help before class. You refused. You even told me that I'd brought this on myself. How could you even know what I was going through, to tell me that? Of _course_ I was upset. I'd expected that you, as a teacher, someone I looked up to, would at least give me the time of day. But you were more interested in getting rid of me." She looked back to Wells. "I am fine now, sir. I have been upset about the video during the last few days, but I believe that situation is currently being resolved, with love, help and support from my dear friends and from the Lord our God, and with _no_ help from anyone in authority here." This last sentence was not lost on Wells.

"Well, ah," he said, hooking his finger into the collar of his shirt, "it's, ah, true that we perhaps could have and should have done more for you. This is one of the reasons why Mr Prescott has been invited her as well."

"I was wondering when you were going to get around to me," said Nathan, his insolent voice betraying no fear or concern, "I've been waiting around here for far too long already. You'd better be careful what you say, I have my own personal lawyer and we won't hesitate to sue anyone here for slander. _Anyone,_ you hear me?"

"I understand you, Mr Prescott, there's no need to get worked up," said Wells, "but you can't deny that you _are_ involved in this situation. You organised the Vortex Club party that Miss Marsh attended…"

"… yeah, I organised it. And funded it," he said, pointedly, "but you can't hold me responsible for someone's own irresponsibility in getting wasted. I didn't get her drunk, I didn't take the video and I certainly didn't post it." He shrugged. "I might have watched it a couple of times, though." He turned to look at Kate with a smug grin plastered over his face, and Max felt momentarily sick. It was all she could do to keep her expression neutral, but it was Kate who responded.

"I go to church, Mr Wells. You know this, right?"

"Miss Marsh, you have been one of Blackwell's most dedicated and generous students. I know exactly what you do for the community."

"Yes, well, in church we take communion. Last Friday I had the same amount of wine that I usually drink in church on a Sunday. It's possible that one or two of you may not take communion in church, so it's basically a sip. Nothing more than that. And I don't get drunk in church on a sip of wine."

"Yeah, like you only took a sip," scoffed Nathan.

"I did. It didn't taste nice. Not like the wine in church. It was bitter and salty. I wasn't sure if wine was supposed to taste like that, but I didn't like it, so I didn't drink any more than that."

"So how did you get wasted, then?" asked Nathan, sneering at her. "You must be something else to get that wasted on a sip of wine." He turned back to the principal. "I had to take her out of the party, she was being so disruptive I thought it would be in her best interests."

"You never took her to the hospital!" Max couldn't keep quiet any longer.

"I never said I was going to. I thought she may need to go, but once she was outside in the fresh air, she seemed to sober up, so I took her back up to her dorm." He shrugged and looked at Wells directly. "I thought it would be the proper thing to do," he said, smiling in his own way.

"You drugged her!" The words left Max's lips before she could stop them, and she immediately chided herself for losing her control. "You don't get drunk on one sip of wine! You drugged her!"

"That's slander!" spat Nathan. "I could sue you so fast, and this school…"

"Now, Mr Prescott," said Wells, "there's no need to be like that, no need to jump to conclusions. I'm sure that Miss Caulfield will retract her accusation." He looked over at Max, who shook her head. "Miss Caulfield, do you have any evidence supporting your accusation?"

Max sighed. This was all becoming very familiar. "No, I don't, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen."

"No evidence at all?"

"Not yet."

 _Shit, I shouldn't have said that._

"Then, without any evidence, you will please immediately retract your accusation. Am I clear?"

"But…" Max sighed again. "Yes, consider it retracted."

"And an apology, please."

Max shook her head in exasperation. "Sir…"

"Now, Miss Caulfield." The tone of the principal made it quite clear that she wasn't going to be let out of this without saying the words, so, after a momentary huff and hesitation, she relented.

"I apologise."

"Good. Will that suffice, Mr Prescott?"

Nathan grinned. "I'll let you know in time." He rose. "Is that all?"

"I'm afraid not, Mr Prescott. There's one other matter that we need to address before you're free to go, and that's the matter of you being armed in the girls' bathroom yesterday afternoon."

"Really?" Nathan actually sounded genuinely surprised. "I thought that had already been put to bed," he said. "It's obviously a spurious accusation with no verifiable truth in it whatsoever." He shrugged again. "Seems to me that I have nothing to worry about." He stretched and yawned noisily, leaning back in his chair.

"Excuse me, Principal Wells." Max turned her head in surprise at David Madsen's comment. He'd been so quiet she'd forgotten that he was in the room.

"Yes, Mr Madsen?"

"If you'll recall, after the fire alarm had been initiated yesterday afternoon, I proceeded directly to the source, which was the girls' bathroom near the front entrance. Upon arrival there, I found Miss Caulfield on the floor near the fire alarm in a state of near hysteria. She was crying almost uncontrollably, so I brought her straight to this office and contacted the school nurse."

"That's correct. Your point being?"

"Just this. I would respectfully submit that, given Miss Caulfield's condition when I found her in the bathroom, to suggest that nothing had happened, I think would be… inaccurate and an erroneous conclusion to arrive at. It is my professional opinion that something happened to Miss Caulfield, or she saw something that frightened her so much she became hysterical."

"What are you saying, Madsen?" spat Nathan, spinning around in his seat to face the security chief. "That I'm lying? How dare you…"

"I'm sure that's not what Mr Madsen is insinuating, Mr Prescott," said the principal. "Mr Madsen, would you clarify?"

"I wasn't in the girls' bathroom when the fire alarm was initiated, so I don't actually know _what_ happened there," said Madsen, "all I do know is that something happened to frighten Miss Caulfield so badly that it put her in a near-uncontrollable hysteria. That's all I know. I'm not saying anything more than that."

"I see," said the principal. "Miss Caulfield, would you like to recount what happened in the bathroom, please?"

"Is there any point?" Max surprised herself at her words, and indeed, next to her, she felt Kate start.

"I'm sorry, Miss Caulfield?"

"I told you yesterday what had happened in great detail. I've no intention of going back through it with the very person I felt threatened by sitting right next to me, especially given what happened later on yesterday afternoon, after you'd revealed my name to him. No, before you say it, I have no evidence, I only have what I saw with my own two eyes, and you already know what that is. I think there's absolutely no point in me saying anything else, as it will just be completely ignored and discounted because I don't have video or written evidence to back it up, so I'm going to say no more. It's already perfectly clear what is going on here, so I'd like to be excused with my friend Kate, so we can go back to our dorms and try and complete our homework for tomorrow." Max felt a reassuring squeeze of her hand and stood up to leave, but the principal hadn't finished.

"Well, I must say I'm surprised at you, Miss Caulfield, please sit down," he said, and she complied. "I never had you pegged as an insolent person. This is most disappointing."

"I'm not being insolent, sir," said Max. "I'm just saying it like it is. It's quite obvious that Kate and I were brought here for one thing and one thing only. That's been done, so I'd like to get on with my homework now. Otherwise I'll be in trouble tomorrow for either not submitting my homework, or sleeping in class because I was up so late doing my homework."

"I see, so you're retracting everything you said yesterday."

"Not at all," said Max, shaking her head, "that's not what I'm saying, sir, and with all due respect, I think you know it. What I _am_ saying is that I don't believe you will listen to anything I have to say, so I cannot see any point in saying it."

"I see, well, you'll have plenty of time to ponder your words, Miss Caulfield," said Wells, standing up. "I'm really not impressed with your attitude, in fact, you can consider me downright disappointed in you and your insolence, Miss Caulfield, so you may consider yourself under suspension until further notice." He glared at Max. "Of course, this does not mean you won't still have to do your homework, Miss Caulfield, but you will have a lot more time in which to complete it. I shall notify your parents of your suspension immediately." He nodded to the door. "Mr Madsen will escort you and Miss Marsh back to the dorms. Mr Prescott, please accept my full apologies and the full apologies of the school for these false allegations. I'll be contacting… I'll be in contact with those who need to know. Mr Jefferson, thank you for attending. Mr Prescott, you are free to go." Nathan nodded and left the office, while Max stood once more, still holding Kate's hand. She shook her head and slowly walked out, followed by Madsen, who led them through the secretary's office and out of the building. Once outside, he led them towards the girls' dorms, but stopped at one of the picnic tables and sat down, indicating that the two girls should do likewise. They sat in silence for a couple of minutes, before Madsen spoke.

"Max, would you tell me please what's going on?" She looked at him in surprise, before answering.

"Like I said in there…"

"Max, I know what you said in there. I'd like you to tell me the truth. And you too, Miss Marsh." He dropped his head and offered his hand. "I owe you an apology, Miss Marsh. I was… out of line yesterday afternoon and I think I just may have made things worse for you. I'm sorry." He turned back to Max. "Please, Max, tell me what's going on."

"I'm sorry, Mr Madsen, but to be blunt, I don't know who I can trust now," said Max, but Kate laid a hand on her arm.

"Mr Madsen, I accept your apology," she said, shaking his hand, "and I believe what Max said yesterday that you were only doing what you believed was right, but you did scare me and yes, you did make things worse for me. Max," she continued, "I think we can trust him."

Max nodded slowly. "If you're sure… well, you _are_ a far better judge of character than I am, Kate."

"Thank you," said Madsen. "For what it's worth, Max, you're my step-daughter's best friend, and I trust you."

"Well, there's not much more to tell, to be honest," said Max. "Like I said in there, Kate here was drugged at the party. I'm almost certain it was Nathan that drugged her, with GHB. Kate said that the wine tasted bitter and salty. She can't remember much after that, apart from Nathan taking her outside, saying they were going to the hospital. She remembers a few bright lights, and then woke up the next morning outside her dorm."

"I'm sorry for my being on the roof earlier," she said. "I was in a very bad place, but I'm lucky that I have a dear friend who really cares for me, and two other people now that are supporting me. It… won't be happening again."

"Mr Madsen," asked Max, "how could Kate get on the roof? Isn't the door locked?"

"It should have been," he said, shaking his head in confusion. "I'm sure I checked it last night and it was. But if it was open… I don't know. Are you sure you're alright, Miss Marsh?"

"Not really, sir, but I will be. Now I know I'm not on my own."

"That's good, Miss Marsh," he said, turning to Max. "And Max? What happened to you earlier? It looked like a panic attack, or PTSD, or something like that."

"You know?" said Kate. "You did seem… knowledgeable in there."

"Miss Marsh, I've seen and experienced things in combat that you should never see, things which will stay with me for the rest of my life. I know all about PTSD," he said, "and that looked like a classic flashback. Max?"

"Short version? When you found me yesterday, I'd seen Nathan in the bathroom waving a gun around and babbling to himself like he was crazy. It frightened the hell out of me, and I was just about able to trigger the alarm. He ran off, and… well, you know the rest. His father has been at Wells, and now no-one will believe me. Plus, afterwards yesterday, Wells must have told Nathan who made the allegation, because he attacked me in the parking lot. He hit me and pushed me over, I hit my head quite badly on the ground and he would have really laid into me if Chloe hadn't saved me. I did kind of have a flashback in there, but Kate helped me get back in control."

"Chloe? My… Chloe?" Max nodded.

"She happened to be there at the time, and she picked me up, fended Nathan off and drove me to your house, where you saw us later. If she hadn't been there… well, I don't know what would have happened. And I know Nathan attacked Victoria later on as well." Max paused. "He's really dangerous, Mr Madsen, and I know he has his father, and, by extension, the principal, protecting him."

Madsen sighed. "I believe you, Max. I've been making my own investigations and things are pointing that way too, but, as you found in there, the evidence is slim and, anything anyone says is shot down before it gains any traction." He stopped talking and looked down at his hands for a moment. "You know, it's easy to let your flashbacks get a hold of you," he said, looking up at Max. "I think you're a lot stronger than you look, but even that might not be enough. I think you need Chloe just as much as she needs you."

"I think that's true, Mr Madsen," Max said.

"For the longest time, I couldn't control my flashbacks," he said, "and I did things I'm not proud of. It took me a long time to realise I needed help to control myself. And I found that help in Joyce. I think that Chloe, and Miss Marsh here, could be very valuable friends to you."

"They already are, Mr Madsen," said Max, gently. "And I think that Chloe could be a very valuable friend to you, too."

"I'd like her to be," he said, "but she knows how to press every button I have, and she revels in doing so at every opportunity. Even if we start talking civilly, things have a habit of escalating and I'm not strong enough to stop it."

"Mr Madsen," said Max, "I'm working on Chloe, okay? Just… please try to control yourself. Chloe could be one of your best allies." He nodded.

"I'll try. And thanks for opening up to me, Max, and you too, Kate. Your trust is not misplaced." He stood up. "Come on, I'll take you back to the dorms now."


	17. 16 The Team Meeting

"Taylor? You in there?" Victoria knocked heavily on her friend's door, only to be met with a stony silence. She waited a moment and knocked again. "Taylor?" When she still heard nothing, she knocked once more. "Taylor Christensen, I know you're in there," she called, "so you'd better open this door _right now_ before I break it down and…" The door suddenly opened as she was knocking, causing her to lose her balance and lurch forward. She managed to catch herself before she fell, however, and glared at Taylor. "The fuck was that?" she asked, haughtily, as she brushed her front down and stalked into the room. "Didn't you hear me knocking?"

"Sorry, Victoria," said Taylor, nervously laughing to try and break the tension, "I was thinking about something and I just didn't hear you." The lie was so obvious that Victoria couldn't be bothered to call her out on it. "What do you want?"

"Isn't it obvious?" said Victoria. "It's way over time for a team meeting. Get Wagner in here stat." She glared at Taylor, who promptly ran out of the room, leaving the door wide open and Victoria in her room. She sat down on the bed, looking up at the ceiling and losing herself in her own thoughts.

 _Who am I?_

 _No, I mean really, who am I? Over the last two days I can count two completely different personalities. The one when I'm with Taylor and Courtney, and the one when I'm with Kate and Max. And Chloe, I guess. Who'd have thought I'd end up talking civilly to her?_

 _But who is the real Victoria Maribeth Chase? Victoria the evil bitch, or Victoria the sensitive?_

 _Honestly? I've no idea. All I_ do _know is that I'm incredibly proud that I talked Kate down, even if I really didn't know what I was doing. I just got lucky, I guess, but I'll take it every day of the week._

 _Victoria, who are you_ really _? You can't both be you. So which one's real? Which one is the true Victoria?_

 _Actually, more importantly, which one do you_ want _to be the true one?_

 _You can't deny your feelings earlier, when you were talking to Max, Kate and Chloe. You enjoyed it, didn't you? You actually relaxed. You didn't feel judged; you didn't feel any expectations there. You were amongst friends, people who actually wanted your company. And Max! How much did she trust you to tell you all that about the time travelling? Yesterday you and she were enemies, now she's sharing her soul with you?_

 _It felt… nice._

 _And then there's Kate. So sweet, so vulnerable, such a good person. So forgiving as well. I'm not sure I could have done the same, if I'd have been in her position. She's…_

Victoria was shaken out of her thoughts by Taylor rushing back into the room, out of breath. She pointed at the door.

"She's. Coming. Now," she wheezed, sucking in great gulpfuls of air and sitting down. After a few moments, she'd calmed down sufficiently to continue. "I think I need to exercise more," she said, but Victoria simply raised an eyebrow to this remark as Courtney knocked and entered through the open door.

"Good, you're here," said Victoria, nodding at the door. "Close it." When it was closed, and Courtney had joined Taylor on the bed (Victoria had stood now and was leaning against the chair by the desk), Victoria nodded.

"All present and correct. Good." She sat. "Anything to report before we start with our first order of business?"

"I do," said Taylor, and Courtney nodded in agreement.

"Go ahead," said Victoria.

"Earlier today, we witnessed… well, we can only describe it as a suicide attempt," said Taylor, barely containing her enthusiasm, as Victoria's stomach flipped inside.

 _Shit, she was seen? Did they see me too?_

"You saw…"

"Yeah. Kate Marsh was up on the roof, I mean, like, right up there. On the edge! And we weren't the only ones who saw it, either. Logan and Zach were there playing football, and Stella was on her way to class."

"What exactly did you see? Tell me!" instructed Victoria, her voice quiet but authoritative.

"I mean, like, she was already up there when we left for class. We didn't notice at first, until we saw Logan pointing up at the roof. And we saw Kate up there, standing on the edge. She was talking to someone, we couldn't see who and we couldn't quite hear what was being said, but she stood there for like ten minutes or so, then stepped off the roof. Like, we totally thought she was gonna jump, you know?"

"Then what?"

"As soon as Stella saw what was going on, she rushed off somewhere, probably to get help, I don't know. Zach and Logan just went back to playing football. I mean, like, nothing actually happened. I don't know what she was up there for, but I know what it looked like to me."

"Yeah," Courtney agreed. "It was like, totally awesome." She breathed in. "Imagine if she'd jumped!"

"Yeah," said Taylor. "Maybe she couldn't live with what she did!"

"Awesome?" Victoria's voice was laced with danger, but it was totally lost on the other two girls.

"Yeah. Like Taylor got it on video as well! We though you could upload it later. Or we could. Kate's other video got so many views…"

"You… you videoed it?" Victoria's face registered total shock before turning to thunder. "Let me see. Now!" Taylor passed her phone across to Victoria, who swiped through the gallery and found the video. It was quite jumpy and the audio wasn't very clear, but it clearly showed Kate standing on the edge of the roof, albeit turned towards where Victoria was. Thankfully, Victoria couldn't be seen on the video, something which she quietly breathed a sigh of relief. It was unlikely she'd been seen by anyone. "Is this it?" Victoria barked, watching the video.

"Yeah, isn't it awesome? I mean, like, I know she's facing away, but before I started recording she was looking down, like she was gonna jump, y'know?"

"Have you uploaded it yet?" Taylor shook her head.

"No. I mean, like, I will, but I wanted you to see it first!"

"So this is the only copy?"

"Uh-huh."

"Good." Before they could stop her, Victoria quickly swiped the video from the screen and deleted it. The action was met with a chorus of objections from the other two, but Victoria held her hand in the air and they were silent straight away. Mentally, Victoria congratulated herself on their training, but at the same time felt suddenly sick at the thought they were doing exactly as she'd asked without question. "Now listen to me very carefully, both of you," she began, "you need to remember one thing. You are both alive and well. Okay. Got that?" They both nodded, a little confused as to what she was saying. "Good. That's a start. Do you realise what was _actually_ going on this morning?"

"Um, Kate was trying to kill herself?" Courtney said.

"Do you know _why_ this was happening?" said Victoria, trying hard to stay strong and knowing she had only moments before the tears would start falling. "I'll tell you _exactly_ why. Because of _us_! Because of _me_! Because of the two of _you_! Don't you get it? _We put her up there_! We were almost the cause of the _death of a young girl!_ And you think that's _awesome_? Jesus Christ, the two of you need to _fucking wake up_ and figure out your _priorities_!" Victoria was getting worked up now, and the tears were beginning to show.

"Tori…" said Taylor.

"No, you listen to me, and by god if either of you ever repeat any of this you'll wish you were never fucking born! I'm eighteen years old, and I nearly killed a girl today. How the fuck do you think that makes me feel? Huh?"

"Um…"

"I felt like a total fucking bitch, Taylor. I still do. Seeing Kate on that roof today _really_ hit home and I really started to question who I was and what I've been doing with my… with everything so far!"

"Wait a minute… you _knew_ she was up there?"

"Taylor, who do you think talked her down?" At this, Taylor gasped and clapped her hand over her mouth. "Remember what I said about telling anyone? I mean it."

"But you…"

"Taylor, I know _exactly_ what I did. And I know exactly what you did, at least I think I do. Remember I tried to take the video down this morning? And you just went and put it back up there. You were a total bitch to Kate in the showers this morning."

"What? I thought you…"

"That's the trouble with you, Taylor. You don't think. You follow me around like a fucking sheep. You too, Courtney," she said, pointing at each girl in turn. "You both need to grow a pair. And _for fuck's sake, grow up!_ " She shook her head. "You just don't get it, do you? We were nearly responsible for a death today. A fucking death! You know, I know what we did, I know we all thought it was highly fucking hysterical, because the fucking Christian girl who preaches abstinence was making out with every guy in the local vicinity, but think about it for a second! _Why_ was she doing that? What would make her _do_ something like that?"

"Because… she was wasted?" Courtney shrugged her shoulders.

"Yeah, you'd think so, wouldn't you? She only had a sip of wine. Just one fucking sip of wine."

"Then… she's a lightweight? It's not unheard of, you know, and if she doesn't normally…"

Victoria sighed. "Courtney, did you have any wine at the party on Friday?" When the girl nodded, Victoria continued. "How was it?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, how did it taste?"

"Um, okay, I guess. I mean, it wasn't the best wine like when we go out for lunch, but it _was_ the cheap stuff."

"Did it taste bitter? Salty?"

"Fuck no! I'd never have drunk any of it if it was… wait, Tori, what are you saying?"

"Kate had one sip of red wine. One sip only. It tasted bitter and salty." Victoria sighed again. "You're supposed to be clever. Do the math." Courtney just frowned at Victoria, confused, but suddenly Taylor gasped again.

"Are you saying she was drugged?" asked Taylor, clapping her hand over her mouth.

"And Taylor gets the prize! Fifty points!" cried Victoria, sarcastically throwing her hands in the air.

"No way!"

"She was drugged, Taylor. And we…"

"… totally made it worse. Fuck, oh my fucking god!" Taylor sank into the bed, the colour swiftly draining out of her face. Next to her, Courtney was looking at Victoria curiously.

"How did we make it worse?" she asked. "I mean, all we did was document her misfortune."

"And you think that's right?" said Taylor, rounding on Courtney with a red face.

"Well, it's kind of like what we've always done," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "So it went a bit too far, so what? It all turned out okay though, so no harm, no foul." Taylor looked at the girl in horror, while Victoria just looked at her.

"Are you fucking serious?" she said, shaking her head. She paused, as if thinking, then looked back at her. "Courtney, I think you should leave," she said, very quietly. When Courtney made no move, she said it again. "Leave, Courtney. Now." This time Courtney looked at her. "I must say, I'm disappointed in you." She paused. "Actually, I'm not, when I think about it. You've acted exactly like I thought you would. Get going."

"Tori…"

"I'm not kidding, Courtney. Get out. Now!" The girl stood up, a little uncertainly, but Victoria was pointing at the door. "Get out and think about what you nearly did today," she hissed. "Just remember this. If you repeat _anything_ I've just said, I'll make sure your life won't be worth living. And Kate is off limits now. Max too. Just don't go anywhere fucking near them. Do I make myself _crystal clear_?"

"Um, I…"

" _Do I make myself crystal clear, Courtney_?"

"Jesus, yes, Victoria." Courtney looked as if she'd been slapped.

"Good. Then just go." Head dropped, Courtney slowly made her way out of Taylor's room and Victoria sighed, flopping down onto the bed next to her. "Fuck!" she said, exhaling in a loud slow breath. "That could have gone better."

"Tori, are you serious?" asked Taylor, quietly. "I mean, was…"

"… Kate drugged?" She nodded heavily. "It seems so, yes. She was given spiked wine, enough to remove any inhibitions or common sense and… she has no memory of the night. She woke up the following morning to discover what she, and we did. Taylor, I feel like total shit," she said, wiping her eyes. "I've never been involved in anything like this before. Imagine if she'd… I'd never have forgiven myself."

"Tori, you mustn't…"

"Tay, we need to take responsibility for this. _We_ did this. There's no sugar-coating it or anything like that. You and me. And Courtney, but mainly you and me. I mean, look at what you said this morning."

"I thought you'd…"

Victoria sighed. "I know you did, Tay, and that's part of the problem. Please don't take this the wrong way, but we need to re-evaluate our… relationship, friendship, call it what you want."

"Tori, wait a…"

"Tay, I like you. I'd like you to be my friend, I think underneath you're actually a good person, but you've been corrupted by… well, me."

"What do you mean? We _are_ friends, aren't we?"

"No, we're not," said Victoria, looking directly at Taylor. "I'm not sure exactly what we are, but we're not really friends. It's like I said, you follow me like a sheep. I don't know if it's the Vortex Club thing, or you're just doing what you think would make me happy, but I'm not a nice person to you, Tay. I don't want you just to make me happy. I want you to keep me on the right path, I want you to be my _friend_ , not a sheep, or a minion, or groupie, or whatever you are. You're so much better than that," she continued, sadly. "I think you do what you do because you're afraid I'll shout at you, or target you, and you like the power we have. Is that right?"

"Tori?"

"Just be honest with me Tay, I'm not going to fly off at you. Please, for once in your life, be honest with me. Argue with me, disagree with me if you want, but please be honest."

Taylor looked at Victoria as if she was made of dynamite, but the more she looked, the more she saw in her eyes that Victoria meant every word she'd said, and Taylor dropped her head and nodded. "I think you've pretty much got it right," she admitted. "You know, I didn't want to be a bitch to anyone, I just wanted to come to school, make friends, go to parties, you know, that sort of thing. I just, sorry Victoria, but I realised that I needed to be with someone like you, otherwise, well, I saw what you did to others." She looked up at Victoria. "Do you mind? Can I…"

"Tay, just say it. Right now I just need you to give it to me straight."

"You have so much power, Tori, I mean, you only have to click your fingers to destroy someone. I needed to be on your good side, because I couldn't survive if not. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, Tay, I'm sorry to you." She sighed. "Max was right, she was fucking right. Look, I'm going to try and be a better person, okay? I'd like you by my side. Not behind me, following me like a sheep, but next to me." She looked out of the window. "I think tomorrow is going to be crazy, but if I get a chance, tomorrow or the day after, I'll drive you to see your mom, okay?"

"Tori, you don't have to…"

"Yeah, I do, Tay, because that's what friends do for friends, right?"

Taylor looked at Victoria with growing tears in her eyes, as if she was seeing her for the first time. "Thanks, Tori. I'll… I'd be honoured to walk beside you. A… and I'd like it if we could go see mom."

"Good. That's settled then." She looked back at Taylor, and then nodded to the door. "When you've calmed down, see if you can't talk some sense into her, Tay," she said. "I don't think it's wise for me to go talk to her right now."

"Tori…"

"We fucked up, Tay," said Victoria, and she sighed. "You've no idea how big we fucked up, or how close she was to… We can't do that again, okay?" She sighed again. "What have we become? Reduced to humiliating good people because we don't agree with what they believe in? Kate's a good person, Tay, a far better person than you or I. She really doesn't deserve this."

"Tori," said Taylor, looking up. "What's happened to you? I mean, like, I've never seen you like this."

Victoria smiled sadly. "Let's just say I've re-evaluated my priorities. I think you'll start to see a different Victoria from now on. And you need to change as well. You see Taylor, we're all about appearances here, and in the Vortex Club." She clenched her fist and held it to her chest. "But it's what's in here that's really important. But one of the first things you need to do is to apologise to Kate." Victoria looked at the door. "And talk to Courtney." She sighed. "Give her half an hour or so, then go and see her. I know she can be a better person, she just needs to realise how close things were today. When that hits home…" She stood up. "Meeting over, Tay." She held her hand out. "We can be better, yeah?" Taylor looked down at the offered hand for a moment, then extended her own and grasped it.

"Yeah," she said.

"Good," said Victoria, heading out. "Oh, and one more thing," she said.

"What?"

"The video. Get rid of it." Taylor nodded sadly.

"Consider it done."

"Do it now, before you do anything else, okay?"

"Okay."

"Thanks."

"What?"

"I said…"

"I heard you, Victoria," said Taylor. "It's just, I don't remember you actually…"

"… thanking you? Yeah, I know. You should try it." She smiled. "It's actually quite nice." She left Taylor and headed back down the corridor, stopping outside Kate's door. She raised her hand to knock, then dropped it again, thinking. Instead, she picked up the pen and wrote three words onto Kate's board.

 _Keep the faith._

As she finished, the door opened and Kate peered out. "I thought I heard someone… Victoria?"

"Hi Kate," said Victoria, looking up. She could see straight away that Kate had been crying. Her eyes were red and puffy, but she actually brightened up at seeing Victoria at the door.

"Hi."

"Um, can I come in for a bit?" Kate smiled at the question.

"Of course," she said, "come on in. Shut the door behind you." Victoria followed her inside and sat on the chair, noting that Kate had just collapsed herself haphazardly onto the bed and curled up.

"Kate, you're not okay, are you?" It wasn't really a question.

"What gave it away?" She laughed, a hollow laugh.

"Your eyes, for one," said Victoria, and she sighed. "Kate…"

"If you're going to apologise, please don't," said Kate. "I know you're sorry, you've said it enough."

"I wasn't going to," said the taller girl. "Actually, I thought I'd let you know that the video is coming down." She looked directly at Kate. "I've made sure of it."

"That's something, at least," said Kate.

"But it's not everything." Victoria sighed again. "Talk to me, please Kate. It's killing me, seeing you like this. I'm trying to figure out if it's some feedback from earlier on, or perhaps something new." She gazed at Kate, curled up on the bed. "It's something new, isn't it?"

Kate let out a long, drawn out breath. In it, Victoria could hear all the stress and pain of the past four days. "Not really. Well, a bit maybe. It's… oh I don't know Victoria." She began twisting her cross necklace in her hands. "Um, would you mind if I called you Tori?" she asked.

"I… what?"

"I just… I heard Max earlier and…"

"Only my friends get to call me that," said Victoria, sternly, and Kate's face fell once more.

"Oh, right, I mean of course… I'm sorry, I…"

"Are you my friend, Kate?" Victoria's voice was hesitant, and Kate suddenly smiled inwardly at the level of vulnerability that Victoria was exhibiting. She couldn't hold the smile in for long, though, and soon it was plastered all over her face.

"I don't know," she said. "The Lord says 'two are better than one. If either of them falls, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no-one to help them up.' I think that _you_ are _my_ friend, Victoria. You have been so incredibly sweet and brave today." The completely transparent look of innocence on Kate's face brought a warm smile to Victoria.

"In that case, I think you will be _required_ to call me Tori," she said, her face breaking into a wide grin, but then, just as quickly, she became serious again. "Talk to me, Kate. What's happened?"

"I think everything's just getting on top of me," she said. "I know you tried your best today, and you did help for a little while, and Chloe tried as well, but I just… and now that Max is suspended, and she had a total panic attack in the principal's office…"

"What? She's… what?"

"It was Mr Jefferson," said Kate, visibly trembling. "Max was so sweet, she sat in between Nathan and me, but I knew I was next to Mr Jefferson. She seemed okay, but the first time he spoke, she just… I don't know, it seemed like she just shut down. Like, she totally shut down. She couldn't breathe or move, it was awful, Tori. And seeing her like that, I mean, I know what I went through, but I don't remember it." She gazed up at Victoria, her face full of concern. "Tori, she remembers everything, and it's coming back to haunt her. It was… Tori, it was horrible."

"Kate…"

"We need to help her, Tori, we need to…"

"We will, Kate, but she has Chloe to help her, don't forget. Right now I'm more worried about you. Who do you have to help _you_?"

"I don't know," said Kate, downcast. "Normally I'd say Max, but with everything that's…"

"Kate, you don't want to insult me, do you?" said Victoria, kindly, and Kate looked suitably shocked.

"Of course not, Tori, I'd never do anything like..."

"So, I'll ask you again," said Victoria, interrupting, "and remember, I'm _right here_. Who do _you_ have to talk to?"

Kate's mouth formed the shape of an 'O' as she realised what Victoria meant. "Victoria, I'm so sorry. I have you, don't I?"

"Got it in… well, two," said Victoria.

"Sorry about that, Tori."

"I'm still here, Kate, and I'm not going anywhere. Not now I have a friend." She smiled but stayed serious. "So talk to me. Please? What's troubling you?" She paused. "Things are getting on top of you, you said," she prompted.

"I guess," she said. "I mean, in the principal's office, I didn't tell him the truth. Max suggested I shouldn't say anything about why I was up there, and, though I hate to say it, she was probably right. The principal wasn't interested in the truth at all, Tori." She shook her head. "He dismissed what Max and I said completely and just sided with Nathan."

"Yeah," said Victoria. "I know. Nathan's father puts so much money into the school he can't afford to do anything against him. I'm sorry, Kate, but that's the way he works."

"But I lied to him, Tori," said Kate, her eyes filling up.

"But you couldn't tell him why you were up there, could you?"

"No, I know that. But _I lied_ to him."

"And?"

"You don't understand, Tori. 'Thou shalt not bear false witness.' I lied, Tori. I broke one of the Ten Commandments," cried Kate, her whole body beginning to shake. "I'm a horrible person!"

"Fuck, no you aren't," said Victoria, completely forgetting her language and moving to the bed to hold Kate, gently stroking her hair, "you're a saint, Kate. You're easily one of the best and nicest people here, and don't let anyone ever tell you any different. Not even me." She smiled and managed to get a small giggle out of Kate. "Good, that's more like it," she continued, touching the tip of her finger to the corner of Kate's mouth. "We need to see this curling up, not down, don't we?"

"Um, Tori," said Kate, hesitantly.

"Yes?"

"Where's the real Victoria Chase and what have you done with her?" The corner of her mouth was twitching as she said this, and Victoria smiled.

"Kate Marsh, was that a joke?"

"It… might have been," said Kate, shyly. "I don't know what it is, Tori, but you make me feel better."

"That's what I want to hear," said Victoria, smiling. "But we still need to address this thing you say about being a horrible person. No," she said, as Kate began to tremble, "you can take it from me, you're not a horrible person, and believe me, I know exactly what a horrible person looks like when I look in the mirror. What exactly did you say to Wells?"

"Um, that I wasn't feeling well, found myself on the roof and decided to get some fresh air. I assured him there was nothing to worry about. I'm not sure he believed me, but he wasn't really listening to me, I could tell."

"Well, technically you weren't feeling very well, were you?"

"You could say that," said Kate, trying not to remember.

"And you _did_ find yourself on the roof. I mean, you weren't really in your right mind and you didn't really know what you were doing, did you?"

"I guess, but…"

"And while you were up there, you _did_ get some fresh air. I mean, we were there a good what, ten, fifteen minutes or so, something like that? Okay, so it was raining, but the air was fresh, wasn't it?"

"Your point?"

"Simple. You didn't lie."

"How could you even…"

"One." Victoria ticked off her fingers. "You weren't well. Two, You weren't in your right mind so you didn't really have all that much control over where you were going, and found yourself on the roof. Three. You got some fresh air before you came down. So what you told Wells was the truth. It wasn't the _whole_ truth, granted, but you didn't _actually_ lie."

"Tori…"

"Kate, I'm trying my best here. I'm not used to this sensitive stuff, as you can probably see. I'm _way_ out of my comfort zone, and needless to say I'm scared as shit. But, to be honest, I think you're worth the effort. I'm really worried about you, Kate," murmured Victoria, still stroking her hair, "and this is a totally new emotion for me."

"I know what you're trying to do," said Kate, "and thanks."

"You know, your hair is lovely," said Victoria, running her hands through it. "You should wear it down sometimes."

"What?"

"I mean it, Kate. Here, let me." Before Kate could protest, Victoria had undone the clips holding the bun in place and let Kate's long blonde hair drape down her back. "It's so smooth," she said. "You know, I've got some conditioner in my room that would really make this shine. I'll lend it to you tomorrow, okay?"

"Um, I guess." Kate looked confused, but Victoria wouldn't stop.

"See, I think the problem with you is that you haven't really…" She finally caught herself and looked at Kate. "Sorry Kate, I'm supposed to be listening to you aren't I?"

"Um…"

"Sorry."

"Tori, it's okay, I mean…"

"I _am_ trying, you know. This doesn't exactly come easily to me."

"I know, Tori. It's sweet that you're here. I thought I wanted to be alone, but actually, you being here is perfect."

"Yeah, you're gonna be stuck with me a little longer, as well," said Victoria.

"How do you mean?"

"Well," Victoria hesitated, biting her lip. "Um, I guess what I'm trying to say is…" She stopped, and Kate sighed.

"Tori, just say it, whatever it is."

"I just don't want you to be on your own tonight, Kate, okay? I mean, I wanted to talk to you, but seeing you like this, plus that sheet over the window and, Kate, the towel over your mirror? I'm sorry, but they're kind of red flags, okay? So, I'm sorry, but I'm putting my foot down. I don't want you on your own tonight. If you don't want my company, I'll try and persuade Max, or maybe Dana to come look after you, but…" She stopped in surprise when Kate planted a finger over her lips.

"Ssh, Tori," she said, "I'm going to be fine, really."

"I'm sure you are, but I'm still not leaving you on your own tonight. Sorry Kate, but I won't take no for an answer." She stood up. "Are you coming?"

"What? Where?"

"To my room," said Victoria. "You're not staying here tonight. Too many bad memories. We'll come and sort out your room tomorrow, give it a good clean through and brighten up the place." She held out her hand. "Come on. Tonight I want to make sure you feel safe." She bit her lip again. "Please, Kate?"

Kate looked at Victoria for a long time, thinking and deciding what to do, then she finally nodded and stood up, putting her hand into Victoria's. "I think it would be nice to have some company tonight, Tori," she said. "Lead the way."


	18. 17 Just the Two of Us

After they'd arrived back at the dorms, Madsen had left them there and gone back to his work. Kate had apologised to Max, asking for some alone time to contemplate the events of the day and gone to her room, leaving Max alone in her dorm. She took some time to write out some of the expected upcoming events in her journal, but she found herself sucking her pen more often than actually writing. Things had changed so much that not much was relevant any more.

 _Dear Diary._

 _I'm trying a new format tonight. I don't usually write to you per se, but so much has happened today that I need somebody to talk to, and you've been nominated. Well, technically there's nobody else here, so you'll have to do. Yeah, I know it sucks to be last choice, but get used to it. Chloe'll always be first._

 _So, where do I start? I'm supposed to write my feelings in here, right? Well, that could be… challenging. I mean, I don't actually know what I feel right now. I've been suspended, again, and this time there was really no pretence as to the reason. I was suspended because Nathan wasn't, basically. There's no other way to put it. I think I might have gotten a little irritated in the principal's room though, probably didn't exactly help my cause, but I just wanted to get out of there. Because something else happened. Something I should have expected but didn't. Something terrifying._

 _I had a full on panic attack._

 _And I don't mean I felt bad for a bit, or cried or anything like that, I mean an actual honest-to-god panic attack. The sort that completely incapacitates you._

 _Never had one before. Very frightening. And totally unexpected. I mean, I suppose I could have expected that something would happen when I saw Jefferson again, but I've never actually had anything close to a panic attack before, so I'm not sure I could have expected that._

 _And I know the trigger. It's not exactly a shocker, but it was Jefferson. I knew he was in the room, but I'd successfully avoided looking at him all the time we were there. But then he spoke, and the sound of his voice sent me straight to hell. I couldn't see, I couldn't hear anything but his voice, speaking to me from the Dark Room last Friday. It was… terrifying. I had trouble breathing, I was panicking, I could feel the blood rushing to my ears and thumping like one of those Japanese drummers we saw last year. I've done a little bit of reading on it before writing this, and it seems I need to know a couple of things, things that will help me if, or when, it happens again. My triggers, and I know what they are, and ways to stay grounded. They recommend self-soothing strategies such as calm breathing, gentle rocking or calming self-talk, so I'll give those a go from time to time, but I need to talk to Chloe about this. She'll help me through it, I know. And I think David could be a massive help; he really knows what I went through._

 _Actually, David is turning out not too scary so far. He actually apologised to Kate earlier on, and I think he's ripe for reconciling with Chloe. I just need to get her to that point as well. I know it's kind of manipulating, but I feel that in this case, it's justified. I'm not actually doing it for them, I'm just getting them into the right frame of mind to do it themselves._

 _To be honest, I was a little disappointed that Chloe didn't hang around, although I guess I did tell her to go. It wouldn't do for her to be caught here, not now I've been suspended. Shit. Again. Like, seriously?_

 _But Kate is alive, and not in hospital. That's a good point from today. And Victoria is on side, too. Actually, it's working out far better than I intended. I took a couple of massive risks today, first telling Chloe about Rachel, and then bringing Kate and Victoria into the club as well, but it's worked out. So far, so good._

 _The question is: what next? This time last week Chloe came to visit tonight and we sneaked into the principal's office and went for a swim. Then we went back to hers for the night, and tomorrow morning was the kiss-dare, Rachel's clothes and finding out that Rachel and Frank were together. And then, of course, the alternate timeline, but the less said about that, the better._

 _I have no idea if any of this will happen. I mean, Kate's not in hospital, so we won't be visiting her. There's no real need to get into Frank's RV, but Chloe will need to know about him and Rachel, but we also need to get his logbook to go with Nathan's phone and David's files, but of course we'll also need Frank's codebook._

 _Which brings me to another point. The money. Last week we were able to pay Frank off with the Prescott blood money. Now, I'm pretty sure it's still there, and really I have no qualms at all about taking it, but how the hell are we going to get into his office? His keys aren't on David's ring, and last week I needed to rewind to get in. So that could be an issue._

Max looked up from her journal and watched the sun give up the ghost and sink below the horizon. She let out a small sigh and took a sip of the cup of tea, now cold, that was sat next to her journal.

 _[MAX]: I've been suspended._

 _[CHLOE]: What? Like, for real?_

 _[MAX]: Yeah._

 _[CHLOE] Didn't that, like, happen last week as well?_

 _[MAX]: it seems I am fated to be suspended and Nathan is fated to get off scott free._

 _[CHLOE]: He's going to get his reckoning, dude. Believe that._

 _[MAX}: Oh, and I had a panic attack._

 _[CHLOE]: What? Are you ok?_

 _[MAX]: Yeah. I am now. Kate was there and she helped me out of it._

The phone fell silent and Max found herself, not for the first time that evening, disappointed.

 _[MAX]: You there?_

 _[MAX]: Chloe?_

She tried to focus back on her journal, but couldn't concentrate, so she gave up, looking at the door and wondering if she could go and see Kate, but almost immediately deciding against it. She ended up just changing into her night clothes and popping quickly to the bathroom, slipping under the sheets when she returned. She was convinced that she'd lay staring at the ceiling for hours, but surprisingly she slipped easily into sleep within 20 minutes or so of her laying her head on the soft pillow.

…

"Hi Max!"

Max opened her eyes at the voice and let them slowly adjust to the darkness around her. "Chloe?" she said, uncertainly as she frowned in confusion at the sight of her friend sitting on the edge of her bed.

"Got it in one," said her friend.

"What are you _doing_ here?"

"Didn't you call me, say you needed me?" Chloe grinned and Max smiled. "So here I am, nerd! Aren't you glad to see me?" she asked, coquettishly.

"You bet I am," said Max, waking up fully. "I missed you earlier when I got back from being suspended."

"Yeah. The fuck was that all about?"

"Usual shit," said Max, rubbing her eyes and sitting up. "Prescott has money and daddy. That's basically the whole story right there."

"Bullshit."

"Yup," agreed Max.

"So, I thought perhaps we could…"

"…sneak out?"

"Damn, dude, did we do this already?" Chloe laughed easily, her eyes sparkling.

"Yeah, but I'm totally up for it again," said Max, thinking of the cool water in the pool, swimming close to her friend. "Just gimme a minute to change."

"We have just agreed."

"Oh shit, now you give me a quote?" Max screwed up her face. "It's one of the Lord of the Rings movies, but I can't remember which one."

"Two Towers, dude." Max slapped her head in exasperation.

"Of course, should have known that one." She motioned with her hand. "Turn around. No peeking." She quickly slipped into a comfortable pair of sweat pants and a loose top. "Okay, let's go," she said, holding out a hand which Chloe took enthusiastically.

"This is gonna be rad," she said, bounding forward and pulling Max out of her room. They tiptoed down the corridor, Chloe trying to trip up Max outside Dana's door, but only succeeding in tripping over herself, Max barely stifling a laugh as she helped her friend up. They finally gave in and giggled all the way down the stairs and out into the night.

"So, where are we going?" laughed Max. "Chloe?" she said, when her friend didn't answer and she looked around, peering into the darkness.

"I'm here," said Chloe from behind Max, causing the younger girl to jump.

"You scared me!" reproached Max, turning.

"Yeah, sorry about that," said Chloe.

"So, where to?"

"Right here," said Chloe. "I've brought someone to meet you."

"You've…" Max frowned, looking past Chloe into the night.

"Yeah. See, I've met someone, Max," she said, smiling and stepping back. "I've met someone who's really changed my life."

"You've…" Max found herself lost for words. "Chloe, we're…"

"Y'see, Maxi-dude," said Chloe, taking another step back. "You're cute 'n' all, but, well, you're not _him_."

"H… him?" As Max said the words, she saw a figure behind Chloe. She couldn't quite make him out, but then he took a step forward and the light fell on his face, and the blood drained out of Max's face instantly.

"You said we weren't going public," said Jefferson, taking Chloe's hand, "at least, not yet."

"Chill, dude," said Chloe, turning and planting a kiss on his bearded cheek, "it's just Max. She's like, my best friend. I can't _not_ tell her; it would be so rude. Plus, she might want to join us…" She held out her hand as Max felt her nervous system begin to shut down. "Max?"

"Chloe, how can you…" Words failed Max as she began to hyperventilate. Chloe just smiled and continued to hold out her hand.

"Max?"

…

"Max!"

Max shot up straight, her eyes flying open as her forehead collided with something hard and warm. Something hard and warm that cried out as she hit it. It took her a few moments to re-orientate herself and she began looking wildly around in the dark. Tears began streaming down her face as her hand flew to her forehead.

"Chloe!" she shouted and immediately a warm pair of arms wrapped themselves around her. "Are you here? Is this real?" she cried, feeling herself being gently rocked back and forth.

"Max, dude, you're okay, man. Ssh," said a familiar voice and Max's vision slowly adjusted to the darkness. "It was just a dream." She looked around to see a familiar shock of blue sitting on the edge of the bed next to her.

"It… seemed so real," she said, slowly calming down her breathing, gaining comfort in the warm and safe feeling of being in Chloe's arms. "It was… I was… you were…"

"Ssh, it's okay, Max. I'm here, I'm real, you're safe," said Chloe. "I've got you." She continued her calming whispering and gentle rocking until Max had calmed down enough for Chloe let go and sit up straight, holding one hand to her nose. "Damn, girl, you clocked me good there. Note to self. Max is hardcore!"

"I'm sorry Chloe," said Max, rubbing her forehead. "I vaguely remember hitting something. That was you?" Chloe grimaced and nodded, still rubbing her nose.

"Yeah. You were having a nightmare and I was trying to… well, you did wake up and shoot straight up into my face." She grinned and bit her bottom lip. "You know, if you wanted some lip-on-lip action, you could have just asked."

"Chloe!" giggled Max, playfully punching her friend's arm and smiling. "You always did know how to make me feel better," she murmured. "Thanks." She suddenly realised something and looked at Chloe quizzically. "Um, what are you doing here? You're… you went home, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I did," said Chloe, "but I came back. You said you'd had a panic attack and…" She stopped talking and began to blush red slightly, something not lost on Max.

"Go on," she pressed.

"… and I thought you might need me," said Chloe. "Seems I was right."

"Oh Chloe, you were," said Max, sniffling again. "You were here, right when I needed you, and I didn't even know it." She smiled one of the warmest smiles she'd ever smiled. "Thank you so much."

"Anything for you, Max," murmured Chloe, and then, a little louder. "You wanna talk about it?"

"I can't lose you, Chloe," whispered Max. "After all I've done to keep you here…"

"Hey, Super-Max, you're not getting rid of me that easily," said Chloe, enveloping her friend in her arms once more. "I'm hella grateful for what you've done for me already, and I didn't even know about it, so I'm fucked if I'm not gonna create some memories with you that I _can_ remember." She gently rocked Max back and forth. "I'm not going anywhere without you, Max," she whispered, her lips so close to Max's ear they brushed her skin and Max shivered at the unexpected but intimate touch and the sensation of Chloe's hot breath. "Feelin' better?" Max nodded gratefully and leaned back into her friend's embrace.

"Thanks, Chloe," she murmured. "I can't do this without you."

"Neither can I, Max," she answered, her words warming Max's heart. "Neither can I." They stayed locked together for a few minutes, just enjoying each other's comfort before Chloe reluctantly pulled away. "So," she began, "seeing as we're here, I've kinda got a bit of a plan."

"Oh?" Max tried to keep the smile out of her voice. "And what would that be?"

"Well, I thought that it would be cool to do something together. I mean, I know we are 'n' all, but I mean just us. Like, tomorrow Kate and Chase will probs be helping us 'n' shit, so I thought we could, like, just the two of us do something." Chloe was talking very quickly. "And I was thinking of things we could do, I mean it'd have to be now rather than tomorrow, and seeing as step-shit is head of security, I thought that we could… what?" She looked at Max, who was desperately trying to stifle a giggle. "You already know, don't you?" She sighed. "Can't I do _anything_ original? Geez!"

"Chloe, if you mean you've swiped David's keys and we're going to sneak into Blackwell, then yes, we did it last week and yes, I'm totally up for it tonight." Max grinned. "Besides, even though we'll be doing it for different reasons, you're right. It'll be nice to do something together."

"Different reasons?"

"Yeah. Last week we were looking for clues about Rachel."

"Oh. Right. I can see why we don't really need…"

"And we could have another issue as well. We need to get into Wells' office. We absolutely need to."

"No problems," said Chloe, jingling the keys.

"Yeah. His key isn't on there."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Shit. What happened last week?"

"We built a bomb with Warren's help and blew the door off. Then I went into the office and rewound, unlocking the door from the inside so the alarms didn't go off."

"Shit, that sounds uber-cool. We actually blew the door off?" Chloe was beaming. "Did I get to do the line?"

"What line?" Chloe stared at Max.

"Seriously, dude? We blew a bloody door off and you're asking me 'what line'?" Chloe shook her head in mock embarrassment. "No way, you're not fucking serious. Obviously I didn't get to do the line. Oh well, we can't do that this time." She suddenly smiled. "I could always try out my fab skills. You know, with me being the 'master of unlocking'."

"Resident Evil, and you know I never liked that game," said Max, smiling. "Especially the bit with the dogs jumping through the window. You could have totally warned me, dude! But yeah, that didn't work either. You couldn't get in. We need to get in and out without leaving any evidence behind."

"Why? I mean, if we went in there last week looking for clues, we obviously don't need to do that this week, so what's so critical?"

"Nuh-uh, you'll find out when we get there," said Max, shaking her finger in front of Chloe's face, who pretended to lunge forward and bite the finger. Max quickly withdrew with a faux-hurt expression on her face. "But it is important."

"What about Waldo? Would he help?"

"I could ask him, but I'm not sure. He's started going out with Brooke, and she's… she's different to last week. And not in a good way, either."

"I don't think I know… Brooke, did you say?" When Max nodded, she continued. "Different how?"

"Much more possessive. Last week, she was quite aloof with me because she was jealous of the attention Warren was giving me. Unwanted attention, but she wouldn't see that. Although, by the end of the week, we'd reconciled and she'd hooked up with Daniel."

"And this week, you washed out Waldo early on, giving her the opening she needs."

"Exactly, but she still feels threatened by me, I think. I mean, I've told her that I'm not interested in him, but she's warned me to stay away from him, and I think she's trying to get him not to speak to me any more."

"So her jealous side has shone through. Max, she's no different to last week. She's the same person, with the same feelings. Last week they were suppressed, this week they're not."

"I guess, but it means Warren might not be, um, allowed to help us."

"True, but you're not alone this time. You've got me," said Chloe. "We'll find a way. I promise. And if I'm not enough, there's always Kate and Victoria." There was something about her voice that caught Max's interest.

"Chlo?"

"Mm?"

"Are you… jealous of Kate and Victoria?"

"No!" insisted Chloe.

"Chlo-e…"

"Okay! Maybe a little, I guess," cried Chloe, throwing her arms in the air. "I mean, I guess I thought it'd be you and me. Pirates, like before." She sat down on the bed. "No, I'm not… jealous, I think that's the wrong word. But…"

"But what?"

"I know, it's ridiculous…"

"What is, Chloe?" asked Max. "Come on, just tell me."

"I guess… I guess a part of me wishes you hadn't brought them into this," she said, looking down. "I know, I suck. What a horrible thing to say…"

"Ssh, Chloe, you're just being honest," said Max, sitting next to her friend. "And I'd be lying if I said there wasn't a part of me that feels the same, or that I didn't like hearing you say that. But… the truth is, this is big, Chloe. And while I want you by my side through this, while I _need_ you by my side, we both need to recognise that we need help. And Kate and Victoria are there for us."

"I know," sighed Chloe.

"But tonight it's just the two of us," said Max, suddenly grinning and breaking into song. "Building castles in the sky, just the…"

"… two of us," Chloe joined in, and they both finished.

"You and I," they said, laughing together, then Chloe stood up.

"So," she said, jangling the keys. "You ready?"


	19. 18 Nocturnal Ninjas

The night had already taken a hold as Max and Chloe left the Prescott dorms. The light had faded, replaced by the artificial lights dotted around the courtyard plus the lights from the fireflies buzzing around. Chloe bounded ahead, but Max reached forward and grabbed her friend's arm.

"What is it?" hissed Chloe, turning around.

"We need to be careful," whispered Max. "Last week, Wells was around here."

"Did I…"

"No, I met you outside. You punked me with your scary ghost thing," said Max, smiling. "But I couldn't get past Wells without rewinding, so we need to hurry." Chloe nodded and the two girls ran quietly out of the courtyard. Luckily, there was no sight or sound of the principal, and they reached the main school grounds quite easily. It was at that point that they heard voices ahead. Max pulled Chloe down behind one of the Jefferson photo exhibits and put her finger over her friend's lips.

"Victoria?" she mouthed at Chloe, but the older girl sneaked a peek around the exhibit and shook her head.

"Jefferson and Wells," she said. "Coming this way." She felt Max stiffen beside her and immediately put her left arm around her friend. "It's okay, Max," she whispered, "I won't let him hurt you, I promise." Their voices became slowly audible as they came into view, Wells was talking.

"I agree, Mark," he said. "But without proof, we can't just accuse her of lying. Why, she's one of Blackwell's most valuable students. With her voluntary and extra-curricular work, she's almost a poster-girl for us."

"Agreed," said Jefferson. At the sound of his voice, Max stiffened completely and emitted a soft whimper. Chloe threw both arms protectively around her friend, rocking her gently and whispering softly into her ear. "But the truth of the matter is, she was up there to attempt suicide. You know it, and I know it. Whichever way you look at it, that is the case," continued Jefferson, "and she needs help." He sighed. "I can't help but feel a little responsible. She came to see me before class this morning. I… I wasn't all that helpful, sadly. I just didn't see that she was overly upset. I mean, I knew of the existence of the video, but to me it simply looked like a girl having too much to drink and doing things she wouldn't normally have done." He shrugged. "It's nothing that hasn't been done or seen before," he said, "and we can't exactly curb the Vortex Club parties. You said that yourself."

Wells let out an exaggerated sigh. "I know," he said, "it's just so frustrating that we're dependant on those funds. At least we can be thankful the video didn't show anything worse."

"Agreed," said Jefferson. "You know, I can't help feeling I could have done more to help her." He paused, as if thinking. "You know, perhaps I can. She assists me in class a lot, perhaps I can help her. I'll see if I can meet with her tomorrow at some point, get her on her own. I can have a chat with her, find out what she knows."

"Not a bad idea," said Wells, nodding. "I think she trusts you, Mark. Okay, why don't you get off home? I'm going to stay around here for a bit. I'll see you tomorrow."

"That you will," said Jefferson. The two men parted, Wells heading to the dormitories, and Jefferson heading in the other direction to the parking lot. Once they'd vanished from view, Max seemed to relax, her whole body calming down and her breathing coming much easier.

"Max?"

"Sorry, Chlo," she said, weakly. "It seems Jeffershit still has a hold on me." She managed a weak smile. "It wasn't as bad as in Wells' office earlier, though."

"We'll get through this, Max," said Chloe. "I promise. You and me."

"Partners in time."

"No. Partners _throughout_ time," said Chloe. "Past, present… and future." She looked at her friend. "You okay to stand up?"

"I… think so." Max struggled to her feet, a little unsteadily, but with Chloe's help she managed it. "I… didn't hear much. What was said?"

"Not much, they were discussing Kate. Whatever she said in Wells' office earllier, they don't believe her. Jeffershit wants to try and get her alone tomorrow to question her." Max looked at Chloe with concern.

"No, that's not right, he wouldn't do that," she said, thinking. "What did he _actually_ say, Chloe? I mean, his actual words?"

"Uh," Chloe screwed up her face. "He said he wished he'd done more to help, and that he'd try and meet with her tomorrow, to find out… to find out what she knows. Shit," breathed Chloe, "are you thinking what I'm thinking?" At this, Max paled and shook her head.

"We can't let him get her alone, Chlo," said Max. "We just can't."

"Agreed on that, Mad Max." Chloe nodded. "Okay, we'll worry about that tomorrow when we can talk to Marshmallow. But what about now? Are you okay to continue?"

Max started walking, then stopped, turned and looked intensely at her friend. "Try and stop me. Coming?" Chloe broke into a jog to catch up with Max and they approached the front door. She produced the keys with a flourish and grinned evilly as they unlocked the door, slipping inside into the darkness.

Max took out her phone and activated the camera flash, using it as a torch. "God, I'm getting so much deja-vu," she whispered.

"No more than before though, right?" said Chloe.

"Yeah, but now I can actually tell you about it," said Max. "You've no idea how much that helps." At this, Chloe gave Max a quick hug.

"Thanks for trusting me, dude," she said. "It… means a lot."

"Yeah, but try not to get too mushy on me, Chlo. Not your strong point. Although I'm open to you practising," said Max with a grin.

"Hey! I can be all sensitive 'n' shit," said Chloe, which reduced Max to a fit of giggles and it wasn't long before her infectious laughter carried over to the punk and they were both on the floor, hooting. Eventually they calmed down and Chloe unlocked the door to the principal's secretary, but soon they were faced with the same issue as the previous week. "So, how do we get in? I'm assuming that, sans-rewind, we can't exactly blow the bloody door off."

"Yeah, I think that's a given," agreed Max, sighing. "I was hoping for a flash of inspiration, but it hasn't arrived."

"Yet."

"What?"

"It hasn't arrived _yet_ ," said Chloe. "We need to stay positive. So what did we do last week?"

"We blew up…"

"I _know_ that, dork," she said. "I mean, what did I do, and how did you know how to blow it up?"

"Well," said Max, "I asked Warren, but I doubt he'll help now, and you tried and failed to pick the lock."

"So, we do that again. No bombs, obviously, but let's see if we can get the party started." She knelt down in front of the door and took out her picks. "Go on, off with you," she said, "I need to consecrate."

"Consecrate?" Max started giggling again and walking off, shaking her head. She unlocked her phone, mentally praying that this would work.

 _[MAX]: You there dude?_

Outside the secretary's office, Max found a seat to sit on and leaned back up against the wall while she waited for Warren's reply.

 _How do we get inside?_

Her phone buzzed and she looked, her heart sinking as she saw the reply.

 _[WARREN]: I told you Max, stay away from my boyfriend._

 _[MAX]: Brooke?_

 _[WARREN]: I'm warning you._

 _[MAX]: Brooke, are you really that jelly? I just want to ask Warren something._

 _[WARREN]: I won't tolerate anything else from you. Just fuck off and leave us alone. Got it?_

Max sighed, dropping her head slightly. Brooke was turning into something else this week. She stood and went back into Chloe.

"Sorry, Chlo, Warren's a no-go. Brooke won't let him even answer a text."

"What?" Max showed her the messages and Chloe shook her head. "Damn girl, she needs to get her priorities straight." She blew out a long breath. "This ain't working. We're gonna need another way in, Max-a-million." Her eyes glinted. "Are you _sure_ we can't blow the door off?"

"Chloe…"

"Yeah, I know. What we need is the key." She sighed. "Who'd have thought Wells wouldn't give step-shit his key." She smacked her palm against her forehead. "Dammit, he's probably got it on him. We should have followed him!"

"Wait a minute," said Max, the glimmer of an idea forming. "Why can't we follow him now?"

"We don't know where he's gone, dude," said Chloe, frowning. "Unless… do you…"

"Yes! I know exactly where he'll be," said Max. "And when I saw him last week, he'd been drinking!" She thought quickly. "Can you stay here? No offense, but stealth and cunning really isn't your bag."

"Hey!"

"I mean it Chlo."

"Okay," grumbled the punk. "But this better work!"

"Trust me," grinned Max, quickly slipping out of the building and running quietly along the grass towards the dorms. As before, she found Wells sat heavily on the step of the boys' dorm, muttering to himself.

"Could have done without this today," he said, taking another swig from a bottle hidden inside a brown paper bag. "Bloody entitled students, thinking they can do whatever they want." He took another swig from the bottle, and Max waited nearby by the wall, keeping out of sight. "Fuck it!" He sighed and took a final swig from the bottle, emptying the rest of the liquid into his mouth, swallowing and then peering into the bottle with one eye, looking disappointed. "Huh!" he said, struggling to his feet, "need more…" He began to sway on his feet, walking awkwardly past where Max was hiding. He began mumbling incoherently, but Max caught the two words 'more' and 'office' and she caught her breath.

 _Chloe!_

Quickly she pulled out her phone.

 _[MAX]: Chloe, quick, hide!_

 _[CHLOE]: Max?_

 _[MAX]: He's coming back to his office. Abort! Abort! Meet you outside by the photos._

 _[CHLOE]: Roger, Captain Max._

Max followed Wells a way behind him, taking care not to be seen or heard. She watched as he approached the entrance of the building.

 _Come on, Chloe, where are you?_

She ducked down behind the Jefferson exhibit they'd used earlier as Wells unlocked the front door and walked inside.

 _Chloe?_

She stood up, searching either side of several exhibits, all the while petrified she'd hear the sound of Wells discovering her friend. Several minutes passed, then the front door opened. Max stood up, ready to greet her friend, but to her horror it wasn't Chloe, but Wells coming back out! She quickly ducked back down behind the exhibit as he stumbled past her and continued out of sight back towards the dorms. She crouch-ran to the front door, only to find it locked.

 _Dammit!_

 _[MAX]: You there?_

 _[CHLOE]: Yeah, everything's cool, dude._

 _[MAX]: Front door's locked._

 _[CHLOE]: One sex_

 _[MAX]: ?_

 _[CHLOE]: Fucking predictive text._

 _[MAX]: It 'predicted' sex?_

 _[CHLOE]: Can't hear you no more. La la la la la!_

Max giggled as Chloe quietly unlocked the front door again and she slipped inside, throwing herself into Chloe's arms.

"Shit, Chloe, I thought he'd see you for sure!"

"Nah, man, it's all cool. Thanks for the heads-up, though."

"I didn't get the keys though," said Max, but Chloe pulled away and looked smug.

"Doesn't matter. I'm in," she said.

"What? How?"

"Easy. I hid in the secretary's office. When Wells went into his office, I sneaked in after him. Fucker was so drunk he didn't notice. Once he left, I unlocked the door from the inside." She grinned. "Well? Are you impressed?"

"Damn, girl, you can officially colour me impressed," said Max, smiling and high-fiving her friend. "Nice. I officially pass over the torch of Blackwell Ninja to you."

"What?"

"Never mind. Something from last week."

"The Blackwell Ninja. I like that," said Chloe, smiling. "So, we can go find what it is that so important about his office," she continued. "Lead the way, bwana," she continued, and Max grinned as she walked into Wells' office with Chloe in step behind her. "It sounded important."

"It is," said Max, heading straight to the desk. "Take a seat," she said, and Chloe looked at her. Max shrugged. "You did it last week."

"Dude, look at the chair. It looks… it looks ancient, man. I wouldn't be seen dead in it!"

"Yeah yeah, you said that too. Just sit in it," said Max, looking around the desk for the letter that she saw the previous week, or its equivalent. It didn't long to find and she grabbed it, looking up to see Chloe wriggling comfortably in the principal's chair with a huge smile on her face.

"Fuck me, this is sick!" she crowed. "It looks like shit but, man, is it comfy!"

"Chloe, get a grip," laughed Max, "and take a look at this." She handed over the piece of paper and Chloe frowned as she read it, her face growing more and more disbelieving.

 _Wells_

 _I feel I should write at once, in response to the outrageous allegations made against my son involving firearms and illegal narcotics. These are, of course, malicious lies and I can personally vouch for Nathan's innocence in this. Furthermore, I should point out that any suspension, justified or 'just during the investigation' would be accompanied by a suspension of my large contributions to Blackwell Academy, and I'm reasonably sure of the impact that would make._

 _These are malicious and false lies, and should be treated as such. It is my hope that you will come to the same obvious conclusion._

 _I appreciate your co-operation in this matter._

 _Sean Prescott_

"What the _fuck_?" she blurted, screwing up her face in disgust. "That's… that's total…"

"… bullshit, yeah I know," said Max. "It just proves that Nathan's father is behind everything, and especially behind my suspension."

"No, you're wrong there," said Chloe. "It wasn't his father. It was his father's _money_. Remember? You heard Wells outside earlier?"

"Uh, no, actually, I didn't," confessed Max, "remember, I was…"

"Shit, yeah, sorry dude," said Chloe, mentally slapping herself. "Well, he was going on about how he hated being dependant on Prescott's money."

"Yeah, sure. It's bullshit, Chlo. Even last week, during the alternate timeline, he wouldn't fork out for ramps and shit for your…" Max stopped quickly. She hadn't mentioned the alternate timeline. Had she?

"Dude, what?" said Chloe, very carefully, focussing her full attention on Max. "Alternate what-now?"

"Um, forget it, Chloe, I didn't…" But Chloe wasn't going to let it go.

"No way, Max," she said. "This sounds like it's something hella important to you, and affects me too." Her expression softened. "Best friends don't keep things from each other. If I'm to trust you absolutely, which I pretty much do, then I need to know you're not holding shit back from me, okay?"

 _Shit, shit, SHIT._

"Okay, Chloe," said Max, nodding. "I'll tell you, but a little later, okay? There's something you need to do first."

"You'd better not be stalling me, Max," said Chloe, but Max simply shook her head.

"No. This office isn't the right setting for the story, but I know a good place," she said, looking over at Chloe, who'd opened a drawer and was looking intently at the contents.

"Bingo!" she crowed, holding up an envelope. "This is… holy shit, dude. Look at it!" Chloe opened the envelope to reveal stacks of bills, neatly banded up. She turned over the envelope to read 'Handicapped Fund' on the outside. "Jackpot! Cha-ching! Dude, there's like five grand here. I could totally pay Frank back!" She looked at Max, who had frozen in place. "Are you going to make a big issue out of this, Max?" Max stayed silent, biting her lip, and Chloe mouth dropped open. "You knew, didn't you?" The penny dropped. " _This_ is why you wanted us to come here. To get _this_." Max nodded. "Are you cool with it? I mean, it's not ours."

Max laughed softly. "Seriously, Chlo? This is the reverse of what happened last week. You had to convince _me_ then." She smiled. "No, it's not ours, but it's not his, either, and it's certainly not for any handicapped fund." She waved the letter in the air. "It's bribe money." She indicated the envelope. "We'll need it to pay Frank off. That way we'll be able to get his book easier."

Chloe grinned and spontaneously threw her arms around Max. "Dude, that's so cool you've been thinking of things like this. Dude, you're like my…"

"… best friend, Chloe." Max smiled and enjoyed the emotional wave she was riding, being in Chloe's arms like that. "Don't leave me, Chlo, please."

"Never, Max." She pocketed the envelope. "So, where to next?" Max bit her lip.

"Well, I did have _one_ idea," she said, quite hesitantly, and Chloe began to grin expectantly.

"This should be good," she said.

"Well, I thought that the night is young…"

"… go on…"

"… and I kinda fancy a swim." Chloe's face lit up. "You've got the keys, so… splish splash?"


	20. 19 Splish Splash

So, this wasn't any less awkward than the first time. Chloe had looked curiously at her when she'd immediately chosen the girls' locker room, but they hadn't bothered with looking through any lockers; there wasn't any point in it now. As before, she'd gone to switch on the pool lights and come back into the pool area to find Chloe already in the pool, wearing only her underwear. She was treading water, facing Max, with an expectant grin on her face.

Last week, Max had felt slightly awkward at undressing in front of Chloe, but now, given the current state of her emotions towards her friend, that was multiplied tenfold.

 _I'm not going to miss this opportunity. No way. So suck it up, Max. This is what you want, after all._

Turning around (like that would do any good) and blushing furiously, she stripped down to her underwear, turned back around, aware that her cheeks felt like they were on fire, and took a running jump into the pool.

"Cowabunga!" she shouted as she jumped, hitting the water with a big splash. Chloe coughed as her laughter was drenched with water.

"Cowa…! Wow, talk about the retro-zone," she laughed.

"Hey, lay off my battlecry! It's never failed me!" Her shyness gone now, Max turned onto her back and kicked around the pool lazily, turning over halfway around onto her side and side-stroking around, all the while watching her friend, who was now floating on her back, gazing up at the ceiling. The water was cool but not cold, and she was loving it. "This is… hella relaxing," she said, knowing that Chloe would raise an eyebrow.

She did.

"Hella?" came a small voice from somewhere off to her left, followed by a giggled snort. "You said… 'hella'?"

"Yeah, so?" said Max, quietly smiling to herself.

"Where'd you learn it?"

"Where'd you think?"

"Hmm," said Chloe, thoughtfully, coughing a little as some water splashed over her face. "Could it possibly be the intense influence of a beautiful, sassy uber-bestie?"

"It could be," laughed Max, swimming across to Chloe and floating on her back next to her friend. Her face burned at the proximity and lack of clothing, but thankfully Chloe didn't seem to notice. "I think by the end of last week, we'd both been an influence on the other. One good, and one… well…"

"Oh? And which were you?"

Max giggled. "That would be telling, but I think it's fair to say that by the end of the week, we were both different people than when we started it." She fell silent, and Chloe didn't push. "So, Chlo, tell me more about Rachel, Chloe," she suggested.

"Only if you promise to tell me about this alternate timeline that you mentioned earlier."

"You sure you want to know? It's not exactly a happy story."

"I don't care," said Chloe. "If it's about you, or me, I want to know. You've been through so much shit last week and you don't have anyone to share it." She coughed again as she turned towards Max and reached out for her hand. "I want to be that person for you, Max. I want us to be the uber-besties we were last week." Max nodded.

"Okay," she agreed. "But first tell me something about Rachel."

"What do you want to know?" said Chloe. "How about the time she got her first tattoo? That was…"

"… the story you told me in here last week," said Max. "Oh, and before I forget, we need to be careful. We nearly got caught in here last week."

"Good thought," said Chloe. "Note to self. Don't get caught." She glanced across at her friend. "You know everything, so I'm in your hands," she said, sending a delicious shiver down Max's spine. "Let me think then." She swam around in a large circle, making small circular motions with her hands as she floated on her back and Max began treading water, watching her friend swim. She couldn't help her eyes wandering a little and immediately began blushing again when she realised what she was doing. Unseen, Chloe allowed herself a small smirk as she sensed the awkward discomfort of her friend and arched her back slightly, smiling again when she heard a small gasp emanate from Max's lips. "I know a story," she said, smiling. "I think this one will be apropos."

…

"Tell me about Max Caulfield."

"Hmm?" Chloe wasn't really listening to her friend, she was concentrating on the joint currently in her mouth. She offered it to the blonde lying next to her. "What did you say?"

"I said, tell me about Max Caulfield," repeated Rachel. This time Chloe's ear perked up and she looked across at her friend.

"Max?"

"Yeah."

"Why do you want to know about her?"

"Just wondered, that's all."

"Well, I don't want to talk about her," said Chloe, turning her head away so that Rachel couldn't see the tear forming in her left eye. "Nothing to talk about. She left me. She fucked off and left me. Nuff said."

"Nah, I'm not buying that," said Rachel, shaking her head. "Come on, you've mentioned her so much, but I know next to nothing about her."

"Rach, don't push it, okay?"

"Why not?"

" _Because she fucking hurt me, okay? I don't want to talk about it,_ " snarled Chloe, but Rachel wasn't giving up so easily.

"Chloe," she said, putting her hand on her friend's arm, "please don't keep this bottled up. Talk to me. Remember, what you told me last month? A problem shared is..."

"… a problem halved," said Chloe, turning to face Rachel, showing the tears in her eyes.

"Oh Chloe," said Rachel, taking her friend into her arms, as Chloe began to cry in earnest. "She meant so much to you, didn't she?" Chloe just nodded, pressing her head into Rachel's shoulder. "Do you hate her now?" When she didn't answer, Rachel asked again and Chloe shook her head. "Then tell me about her," she pressed. "If she meant so much to you, she must have been very special." She tightened the embrace. "Tell me why."

Chloe continued to cry for a few minutes, eventually calming down. "She was," she said.

"Was what?"

"Special," sniffed Chloe. "I've never met anyone else like her. We were..."

"...like sisters?"

"Nuh-uh," said Chloe, shaking her head. "We were way more than that. She was like, the other half of my soul, you know? We would miss each other terribly when we weren't together, it's like we couldn't function properly apart."

"I bet you could..."

"… finish each other's sentences? Yeah, we'd do that all the time. Mom used to joke that she wasn't sure who was who sometimes." Chloe smiled through her tears. "But then she left me."

"I'm sure she didn't do it on purpose, Chloe."

"Yeah, I mean, she was only thirteen, I know she didn't really have a choice. Her father had a promotion or something, and they had to move away. To Seattle." Chloe raised her head and looked at Rachel, with a renewed fire in her eyes. "Moving away was hard enough, especially as Dad had just died. But she didn't contact me, Rach. Not a call, not a text, no email. Nothing. Not a word from her in three years! She promised we'd keep in touch, she promised we'd be BFFs, but nothing. _That's_ what really hurt, Rach."

"Have... did you try and contact her?" At the question, Chloe shook her head.

"She doesn't want to know me," she said. "She's made that pretty obvious, don't you think?"

"I don't know," said Rachel, pursing her lips. "She may be hurting, just like you. Perhaps she doesn't know what to say to you. I'd imagine it was tough first off, but then, as time goes on, it gets harder and harder. Maybe she needs you to reach out to her."

"Why would I want to do that now? I've got you," said Chloe, nuzzling up to her friend again. "If she doesn't want to know me, it's her loss, isn't it?"

"Partly," said Rachel. "Partly." She paused for a second and began to play with Chloe's hair. "Do you think she'd like me?"

"You? Hella yeah! She's a photographer," said Chloe, her eyes reflecting a wistful look. "I think we'd all be hella best friends."

"Maybe we'll get to know each other one day," said Rachel. "I think I'd like that. I know one half of you, Price. I think I'd like to get to know the other half."

…

"… so if you apologise again for leaving me, Caulfield, I won't be happy." Chloe spun around in a lazy circle. "I'm just so glad you're back in my life, Max. I meant every word, you know. You are the other half of my soul, just like I told Rachel."

"I'm your other half?" said Max, blushing furiously but loving the reaction she got out of Chloe. The punk breathed in quickly, forgetting she was in the water and choking slightly, coughing, which just started Max laughing, and Chloe followed soon afterwards. "Mmm, I like the sound of that," she said after they'd stopped laughing, still floating on her back and watching the glimmering reflections on the pool ceiling. "I wish I'd known her." She looked across at Chloe, her earlier discomfort gone as she focussed on thoughts of Chloe's other friend. "You think she would have liked me?"

"Of course she would," replied Chloe. "I mean, what's not to like?" She giggled. "I mean, seriously, I think the three of us would have been damn near unstoppable." She sighed. "I think the two of you would have got on like a house on fire. She had a rebellious side, sure, but she could be so sweet, especially when I was hurting. Which, in those days, I was, Max. A lot." She turned her head to look at Max. "I _really_ missed you, Max. I'm not trying to guilt the shit outta you or anything, but I did."

"Chloe, I…"

"I know, Max, it's okay. You're here now, and you'd better believe I'm not letting you go anywhere again without me." She took a deep breath. "Perhaps you should tell me about this alternate timeline. Get it off your chest."

"Chloe…"

"Max, please. Remember what I said? We need to share and shit. I know it's something you weren't planning on telling me, but you have to, Max." She stopped floating and swam to the edge of the pool, holding on to the side and gesturing for Max to join her. As Max approached, she pulled the surprised girl into a half-embrace. She looked intensely into Max's eyes, forcing the younger girl to look away. "Max, you were a big part of my life before you moved. I want us to be like that again. A... and more. I was… look, I want to be there for you, I want you to trust me the way I trust you. I want to help you, to comfort you, to protect you."

"Chloe…"

"Please, Max? It sounds like I was there for you last week, although not as much as I'd want to be. But it also sounds like the other me has given me a chance to really be that person for you, Max."

"I found out that I was able to rewind further, Chloe," blurted out Max, after hesitating momentarily. "Not just a few seconds. I was able to go back further. Much further. Like, five years further."

"Go on."

"We'd had an argument. About… well, about everything, really. You blamed William for your… I think you called it your shitty life, but at the same time you wished he was still there for you."

"I blamed dad?"

"Yeah. You dropped me off at my dorm without a word, like you did on Monday night. I went back and found the photo Joyce had given me, the one from the album or you and me when we were young, the day that William… before he died."

"I… think I remember that photo," said Chloe, "but I know that day was a bit of a blur, to be honest."

"Not surprising, given what happened," said Max. "Well, I was looking at the photo and suddenly… I was there, Chloe. I was actually in my thirteen-year-old self, running around the house with you, talking to William. It was… well, it was confusing, shocking and absolutely beautiful at the same time."

"You saw dad?" Chloe's eyes teared up, and she dipped her head under the water for a second.

"Yeah. Chloe, I… I stopped him from taking the car, and he didn't die. I changed the past, but when I got back to the present, everything had changed horribly. I couldn't… Victoria was my best friend, I think I might have been dating her. Or Nathan, I don't know."

"Fuck, you and Nathan?"

"I know, Chlo, it was a bit of a shock to me as well. But that's not all. I looked through my messages, and I was a horrible person, Chlo. I was bullying Alyssa, I was in the Vortex Club, Victoria hung on my every word. God Chlo, it was awful. Warren didn't know me, but the thing was that Kate hated me. Seemed like I was the one who'd put the video online. I mean, who was that? How could I do something so awful?" Max was beginning to cry openly, and Chloe offered a consoling hand on her shoulder.

"But that's not you, Max."

"I know, but I hated who I'd become in _that_ timeline."

"And me?"

"You were the worst, Chloe. I went to visit you, it seemed like we hadn't lost contact over the years, so I guess that was something, but I met William. Chloe, he looked… he looked wonderful. He was still alive. Older, wiser, but still the same wonderful person. And he welcomed me with open arms. But you… Oh god Chloe, you'd been in a car accident, and you were paralysed from the neck down and in a wheelchair." Chloe gasped, clapping her hand to her mouth, forgetting it was holding her above water, and she sank slightly, spluttering as she swam back up and gripped the edge. "You were so beautiful, such a wonderful, kind, gentle person. So intelligent, so caring, but in such horrible pain, and William and Joyce were sinking under the amount of medical bills. I think they were in danger of losing the house. Wells had asked you to leave Blackwell because he wasn't willing to spend the money to build the ramps you needed."

"That's what you were saying earlier?"

"Yeah. You were four point oh GPA, Chloe. You were really smart, and really dedicated, but he was such an asshole."

"Some things never change."

"Supertramp?"

"What?" Chloe looked at Max. "That wasn't meant to be a reference, but shit, dude! That's gotta be fifty points right there!" She grinned and Max smiled in response.

"We spent the day together, a perfect day, a perfect evening, but the following morning you asked me to…" Max began to sob and stopped talking. Chloe put her right arm around her and drew the trembling girl close.

"It's okay, Max. Tell me," she murmured.

"You were in such pain, you said you just wanted to… end it with the perfect day and perfect memory of seeing me again. I didn't want to help you, but you convinced me, so I…"

"Ssh Max, I can guess what you did," said Chloe. "I asked you to help me die, didn't I?" Max nodded and began to sob uncontrollably.

"I watched you die, again," she cried. "I cranked your morphine up to eleven. It was so peaceful, you looked at me, smiled, whispered some last words and just… drifted off. And I couldn't take you not being there, so I went back through the photo and… I… Chloe, I did nothing, I let William die again. I'm sorry, Chloe, I'm so fucking sorry I couldn't save him. I tried, I really tried, but I couldn't trade you for him, or…" Max was openly crying again, but Chloe was there, hugging her friend and rubbing her back.

"Max, ssh, it's okay," she said. "Look, you did what you had to do. I can't even pretend to imagine the pain you've gone through, but I want you to share it with me, the good _and_ the bad, so I can be there for you, like you were there, watching out for me. Max, you're not on your own, I want you to know that, okay?"

"I'm so selfish, Chloe," cried Max, burying her head into Chloe's shoulder.

"You are allowed to be selfish sometimes, Max," she said, "especially when it comes to me. But how the fuck can you call yourself selfish? You elected to put yourself through all this again. You could have just not travelled back during the storm, couldn't you? That probably would have been hella easier."

"I guess," she sniffed.

"Max, there's no 'guess' about it. What you did, what I did, was one of the most un-selfish things I think I've ever heard of. Damn, I'm even having trouble believing that I'd even suggest something like that! Nobody, I mean, _nobody_ can call either of us selfish." She smiled. "It's you 'n' me, Max. All the way, you and me. Okay?"

Max smiled back. "You and me, Chlo. Got it." She shivered and glanced up at the digital clock. "I'm getting cold now, and we don't want to get caught." She bit her lip and glanced at Chloe. "Stay with me tonight, Chlo? Keep me company?"

"Just try and keep me away," answered Chloe, immediately. She grinned as Max pulled herself out of the water and pulled on her clothes. She did likewise and, within a few minutes they were shaking the water out of their hair. "Damn, girl, you smell all chemically," she said, grinning impishly. "I like it!" She bumped shoulders with Max, who grinned back.

"We'll have to be careful getting out. I don't know exactly what time they turned up last week, but they definitely saw your truck in the parking lot." She quickly turned the pool lights off, and returned to Chloe's side. "Come on," she said, taking Chloe's hand as the two girls tiptoed out of the pool, remembering to lock the doors after them. They were soon back up in Max's room, having just enough time to change into their sleepwear (Chloe had to borrow a t-shirt and shorts from Max that were very tight) before they collapsed gratefully on to Max's bed and fell asleep almost immediately.


	21. 20 A Wake-up Call

Reality returned to Max sluggishly, like a train slowly making its way to the end of a tunnel. Eyes closed, she became aware of the sounds of the world around her; the sounds of the birds singing in the trees around the dorms, sounds of the other girls moving around, and the sound of light breathing inches from her face.

 _Wait, what?_

She concentrated, and became aware of a weight on her chest, like a restraint. She felt her breath begin to quicken as she opened her eyes, but then relief washed over her and she sighed happily as she saw that the weight on her chest was actually Chloe's arm, which must have flopped over Max sometime during the night. She turned her head right to see Chloe, sleeping soundly, her whole body on her left side (hence the arm flopping across Max) and her face just inches from Max's. Again, Max felt her breathing quicken, but this time for a whole different reason. Her proximity to Chloe was intoxicating. She took a slow breath in, breathing in Chloe's familiar scent, trying not to move, trying not to ruin this perfect moment.

 _I love you, Chloe._

If there had been any doubt before now, as Max gazed on the sleeping face of her best friend, all doubts were washed away instantly. Chloe had stolen her heart.

 _But do you feel the same way?_

Max had noticed the odd hint, as if Chloe had been testing the water. Like, the previous night, Chloe had asked Max which locker room she wanted, boys or girls? Of course, Max had replied girls without hesitation, and she could have sworn there was a smidgeon of a smirk on Chloe's face as she did so. And, several of the comments that Chloe had made while they were in the water.

 _In the water._

Max couldn't help herself blushing again as she remembered the sight of Chloe clad only in her underwear. She turned her face away from Chloe's, as if scared the heat emanating from it would wake her friend. She couldn't help but smile.

 _Things seem to be falling into place quite nicely this time around. We'll gather the evidence today and get Nathan and Jeffershit out of the picture, and…_

Next to her, Chloe sighed in her sleep and wriggled slightly, the movement causing Max to gasp as Chloe's arm inched higher on her chest.

 _Oh, Chloe, if you only knew what you do to me…_

Looking at the clock, she could see that it was mid-morning. She yawned, realising they would have to get up soon, but at the same time not wanting to disturb Chloe. Carefully, she lifted Chloe's arm off her and rose, collecting her shower things and heading out quietly. The showers were empty and twenty minutes later she slipped back into her room to find Chloe still sleeping. She couldn't help herself but climb back into bed, turning on her right side to face her friend. Chloe, sensing the body weight next to her, automatically wrapped her arm around Max, causing the younger girl to blush furiously again.

"Mmm, you smell nice," murmured Chloe, sleepily, wriggling up close to Max.

"Morning, Chlo," said Max, and Chloe opened one eye, smiled, and then opened the other.

"Well, that's one of the best wake-up sights I could ask for," she said, glancing down at Max's lips, just centimetres from her own, and biting her bottom lip. "It, uh, could be a little better, though," she continued, somewhat hesitantly.

"Oh?" Max's initial disappointment at Chloe's statement was quickly replaced as her mind raced.

 _Does she mean what I think she means?_

"Well, yes, as it goes. In fact, I want the best wake-up call I've ever had, and I want it now," said Chloe, impishly, once more glancing down at Max's lips.

"And what would that be?" said Max, her heart beating furiously.

"Kiss me, Max," said Chloe. "Kiss me awake. I dare you. No, I _double_ dare you." She closed her eyes once more, puckered up and waited.

"Chloe Elizabeth Price," said Max, very hesitantly, the blood pounding in her ears, but knowing that the time was right. It was now or never. At her full name, Chloe opened her eyes again. "You dare me? Or you want me to?" Max asked, her face still cherry-red.

"Max?"

"It's a simple question," said Max, glancing down at Chloe's lips as well. "If you _dare_ me to, that's one thing. If you _double_ dare me, that's another thing. But if you _want_ me to, well, that's something else entirely."

"Max?"

"What?"

"You talk too much. Just shut up and kiss me," said Chloe, leaning her head forward and then, magically, wonderfully, their lips met and Max's brain fired off neuron after neuron as she realised with joy that this was not just a chaste peck on the lips like last week.

 _I'm kissing Chloe, and she's kissing me back!_

A joyful moan sounded deep in Max's throat as the kiss intensified and she closed her eyes too, enjoying the moment for what it was. Both a moment, and a beginning to something wonderful. Eventually the kiss ended and she opened her eyes to find Chloe watching her, biting her lip again, her eyes searching hers for approval, not rejection.

 _This is it, Max. Don't fuck this up. You've got one chance to make an impression here, so…_

"Wowsers!" she breathed.

 _Great. Just great, Max. Well done. Points for style there._

She looked at Chloe to see a huge grin and a softening of her eyes. "Max," she said, still hesitantly. Feeling brave, Max cupped Chloe's cheek with her left hand and smiled.

"Chloe, you've no idea how long I've waited for that," she murmured.

"Not as long as me," replied Chloe, pausing. "Why do you think I was so upset that you left?" Max gasped.

"You…" she looked closer at her friend. "Really?" Chloe closed her eyes and nodded sadly.

"Yeah, although it took you actually leaving for me to admit it," she said. "I was wondering whether I should say something, but then you didn't get in touch and…" Chloe stopped speaking as Max pressed her lips to hers once more. "Now, I don't mind that sort of interruption," she said when the kiss had ended once more.

"Chloe, I'm so…"

"Don't you dare apologise, Max," said Chloe. "We're here now. Right now. This is… perfect, so don't you dare spoil my perfect moment."

"Okay," said Max, smiling softly. "So… are we… I mean, am I, we…"

"A couple?" Usually so confident, Max couldn't help but notice that Chloe's confidence seemed to have deserted her, leaving only a vulnerable teenager. It was a side of Chloe that she thought perhaps only she had ever been allowed to see, although maybe Rachel as well, but it was a wonderful side. It proved that, underneath all the bluster, there was a teenage girl, with teenage emotions. "I'd like that more than anything Max, but it takes two, and I don't think I can answer for you this time. So, do you want it, Max? Do you want to be… mine?" Chloe's eyes searched Max's once more, but this time Max decided to dispense with hesitant, shy Max. This time she knew exactly what she wanted, and, finally, it was within reach.

"Yes, Chloe, I am yours," she breathed. "Yes, oh, yes, Chloe, and three times yes."

"Dude," said Chloe, "you need more practice in maths. That was like, four times? I mean, I know I'm hella cute and blow your mind, but I never realised I could disrupt the natural laws of mathematics. Just knowing that…" Once more, Max shut her friend up with a spontaneous kiss that deepened and intensified as they wrapped their arms around one another for their first official kiss as a couple. It wasn't any less intense or magical as the earlier kiss, and again it left them both breathless when they finally broke for air.

"I'm guessing this didn't happen last week," said Chloe, a little later. They were still in bed, laying in each other's arms, enjoying the closeness and intimacy. Max shook her head.

"No, although you _did_ dare me to kiss you," she said, "actually around about this time." She glanced at the clock. "Yeah, about this time last week."

"I dared you?" Chloe smiled. Well, smiled _more_ , if that was possible. "I wondered what you were going on about."

"Well, daring me to kiss you was like last week, but like last week it was just a quick peck and sort of… chaste. But, as I suspected, the dare was only an excuse this time. I wanted to kiss you, Chloe, I just didn't really know how to… well, I'm not exactly forward with things like that," she said.

"Well, yeah. I mean, I thought I was being clever, but I guess I was kinda transparent," laughed Chloe, and Max grinned.

"Yeah, last week we were at yours, we'd escaped David at the pool and went back to yours for the night. The following morning, you dared me to kiss you, but then you chickened out when I did."

"No way!"

"It's true! I don't think you were expecting it. But it was… nice," said Max, shyly, "and I might have rewound a couple of times…"

"You didn't!" shrieked Chloe. "No fair! You mean you've kissed me more than I've kissed you? How is that even possible?" Max giggled.

"Well, I… I liked kissing you," she said shyly, leaning in once more. "And it was the only chance I had, or I thought I had. We did have one real kiss last week," she said, sobering. "Just before you… before I… came back here. It was going to be our… last opportunity." Chloe could see that Max was getting worked up at the memory, so she tightened the hug and planted a kiss on her (girl)friend's forehead.

"It's okay, Max, I'm here now. And after what just happened, you'd better believe I'm not going anywhere. Plus, it's my turn to interrupt you with a kiss. And another," she said leaning in for a kiss. Max smiled.

"Yeah. Just… when it came down to it, I found I… couldn't go through with the plan. I'd like to say I had it all planned out, but the truth was that I couldn't watch you die. Not after… Chloe, I'd just admitted to myself exactly how I felt about you. We'd just shared the most magical kiss. I chickened out, but after I'd got over it, I thought perhaps I could win-win." She smiled and looked deeply into Chloe's eyes. "And I have."

"Me too, Max," said Chloe, kissing Max once more. "You know, I could get used to this," she said, sampling Max's lips again. "Damn girl, you learn fast." She looked at Max curiously. "Who was your teacher?"

"For what?"

"This," said Chloe, kissing her again.

"Um, you mean kissing?" Max looked uncertain. "You're my... I mean, I've... I've never..."

"Max Caulfield, are you saying I'm first?" Chloe asked with a soft smile. When Max nodded shyly, Chloe pulled her close for a cuddle. "Max, don't ever be ashamed of that," she said.

"But I don't know... I mean, you're more..."

"… experienced? Max, take that with a pinch of salt. I mean, sure, I've been with a couple of boys before, but I never felt anything like this," she said. "I mean, this is totally intense. Plus," she continued, with an evil grin, "if you're inexperienced, it just means we need to practice." She leant in for another kiss, which Max was only too happy to oblige. "A lot. Max, I'm honoured to be your first," she said. "We've all the time in the world to learn everything about each other."

"Everything?"

"Well," said Chloe, biting her lip again. "I mean, not straight away, but you know..." Max smiled.

"Chloe, please don't be mad, but I don't think I'm ready for that yet," she said. "I've never actually been in a relationship before. I want to take it slow, do it right, okay?"

"Max, don't ever change," said Chloe, smiling and caressing her girlfriend's cheek. "This doesn't feel like anything I've ever felt before, I want to do this right as well. But I need to know that I can kiss you, and cuddle you."

"Whenever you want," said Max, feeling brave enough to lean in for a kiss herself, and she and Chloe lost themselves in each other for a while.

"So, what's the plan for this morning?" said Chloe, a few minutes later. "I mean, I'm totally down for nothing but this, but I know we've things to do."

"I know," sighed Max. "But it will soon be all over, then we'll have plenty of time for each other." She yawned deeply, causing Chloe to do the same, and reluctantly got up. "We need to collect the evidence today, then we can figure out again where Nathan took Kate and Rachel. Then we can go to David with what we have, stop Nathan and Jeffershit." She smiled. "I guess being suspended has its benefits. I can worry about the evidence… and you… I don't have any classes today." She looked at Chloe critically, peering one side and the other. "You need a shower," she said, leaning in and sniffing her friend's blue hair. "You go get a shower, I'll get us some coffees, and we can plan the day. I know we'll need Kate and Tori, but they have classes today so we won't have their help until later."

"Okay, that sounds like a plan," said Chloe. "Towel?"

"There's one over there," said Max. "It's not totally clean, but it'll do in a pinch." She stood and walked to the door. "How do you want your coffee?"

"Like my men," said Chloe. "Strong and black." She looked at Max, trying to hold in a laugh at the expression on Max's face, and failing miserably. She fell on the bed, hooting with infectious laughter and Max soon joined her. When they'd calmed down, Chloe looked at Max. "After last night, I think a black coffee would be absolutely perfect." She nodded. "Go on. Go get it. I'll see you in a few."

"Kiss me goodbye?" said Max.

"Sounds good to me," said Chloe, taking her girlfriend into her arms and kissing her deeply. When they broke, Max was flushed, smiling and more than a little breathless. She left the room and skipped gaily to the cafeteria.

 _Wow. Is this... real? Have I achieved my fourth objective?_

She couldn't help but grin all the way down the stairs and across the courtyard.

 _I have a girlfriend. I. Have. A girlfriend. And it's Chloe._

 _My Chloe. My. Chloe._

 _I like how that sounds._

"Miss?"

Max was brought back to reality by the server in the cafeteria.

"Oh, sorry," she said, shaking her head. "I was miles away."

"You looked it, miss," she said. "What'll it be?"

"Black coffee and a latté to go, please," said Max, hopping with excitement from one foot to the other. She couldn't wait for the server to finish with the coffee. Her money was out and on the counter well before the server had finished, and as soon as the coffees were ready, Max thanked her and began walking quickly back to the dorms. However, as she rounded the corner of the pool building, leading to a secluded part of campus, a shadow fell on her and she half turned.

"Good morning, Max," said a very familiar voice and Max froze, her whole body stiffening at the sound of the voice, refusing to move. "Interesting reaction," said the voice, drawing near as Max felt a sharp sting on the side of her neck. "That's something we'll have to discuss a little later." Max felt the world drawing in, vaguely aware of the two coffees as they dropped from her hands and spilled on the floor. The world around her grew smaller and narrower, as her vision blurred and failed, and somewhere along the line her legs failed her, a pair of strong arms holding her up as everything faded to black.


	22. 21 Missing

Chloe Price hummed contentedly as water cascaded off her blue locks onto her shoulders. She rubbed her face, looking up to let the water fall directly onto it and smiling. Rarely had she felt like this. In fact, she couldn't really remember the last time she had felt so much, well, _optimism_. As she let the water fall onto her grinning face, she caught herself thinking about something totally unexpected.

The future.

 _Her_ future.

The fact that she actually might have a decent future ahead of her.

This was different. Very different.

She liked it.

 _Mmm._

She closed her eyes, replaying the events of the last half an hour or so.

 _That kiss. Wow. I mean, seriously? What was I thinking? 'Just shut up and kiss me.' But hey, it had the desired result, didn't it?_

Truth be told, she'd had an inkling that her feelings toward Max might be being reciprocated for a while now, but it wasn't until the previous night, when she'd caught Max's wandering eyes and blushing cheeks, together with her friend's reactions to a few carefully chosen comments that she made, that she was sure. It still took a lot of courage to make that move, though. It was too easy to misread a signal and put a friendship in jeopardy. But she'd pretty much been convinced that it would all work out, and it had, more wonderfully than even she'd imagined.

She'd both read, in the few books she'd bothered to read properly, and heard, that kisses could be absolutely magical, that fireworks would ignite and one could lose oneself in the moment, but, truth be told, it had never happened for her, and she'd completely discounted the books as romantic nonsense, and the stories as total lies.

But you know what? They weren't lies. Because the fireworks lit and exploded spectacularly when Max's lips had connected with hers. It was like a bolt of static electricity jumping from lip to lip as they neared, and then the feeling as the kiss began, then deepened, was as wonderful, if not even more magical than the stories.

 _I love her. And love can do funny things to your mind, can't it?_

And, as she'd found out, not just her mind. Just that one single kiss (and the others that had followed) had awakened in her emotions and feelings in parts of her body she had long since thought would never be awakened. Her heart had pounded out a samba as the blood thumped in her ears, but it had finally happened.

 _And it was erotic as fuck._

And it was life-changing.

Was it really love? Love is an easy word to bandy about. I love you. I love you. Three wonderful, little words, but too easily spoken and discarded. But wasn't love the epitomy? How could it be possible that she loved Max already? They hadn't even had their one-hour anniversary yet! And yet, her heart was crying out for the brunette whenever she wasn't in sight. You don't miss someone that much if you only like them, do you? Maybe it _was_ love. Maybe it was a love that had grown over the years, suppressed for five achingly long years but finally re-awakened in the last couple of days.

She turned off the shower and began to dry herself off, her mind wandering slightly when the towel touched certain places. Once she'd dressed, she made her way out of the shower room, looking forward to her coffee and, hopefully another couple of kisses before they made their way out to begin collecting the evidence they needed to implicate Nathan and Jefferson. The corridor was quiet; most of the students now in class, although she could hear Kate playing her violin in her room. She noted with satisfaction that it was a tune that bordered more on the happy side than the dreary, definitely an improvement, and smiled as she pushed Max's door open.

"Hi, girlfriend," she said, swaying her hips suggestively and grinning as she entered the room, letting the door close behind her. Her grin was quickly swapped for a frown as she realised she was alone in the room. "Max?" she called, realising quickly that it was useless to call, there was just nowhere in the room to hide. She noticed that there were no coffee cups either, meaning that Max hadn't arrived back from the cafeteria yet. She peered out of the window but couldn't see her in the courtyard. Frowning, she sat down, trying to quell a growing fear in her belly.

 _She's left me._

 _Ok. Let's think this through. Calm down, Chloe, Max hasn't left you. No way she's going anywhere, not after that kiss. She's probably just stuck in the queue, that's all. Yeah, that'll be it. She'll be along in a moment._

Glancing at the clock, though, dispelled that thought. It had been nearly 30 minutes since she'd left to pick up the coffees. She picked up her phone and dialled Max, trying to control her breathing when the phone simply rang and rang.

 _[CHLOE]: Max?_

 _[CHLOE]: You there dude?_

 _[CHLOE]: Max, come on dude._

 _[CHLOE]: Seriously, dude, I'm getting a little scared here._

Chloe's heart began to beat a little quicker.

 _Fuck. Come on Max, where are you?_

 _[CHLOE]: Max please ring me or text me._

 _[CHLOE]: Please Max._

Chloe opened the door once more, really starting to tense up now. She slammed the door closed behind her and the violin playing stopped from opposite, Kate's door opening almost immediately. The Christian girl poked her head out of the door, her face smiling when she saw Chloe, but straight away her face turned to concern when she saw the expression on Chloe's face.

"Chloe? Is everything okay?"

Chloe stopped in her tracks. "Kate, have you seen Max?"

"Uh, not since last night," she said. "What's happened?" She took another look at Chloe's face and motioned her into her room. "You'd better come in," she said. "Okay, what's up?" she asked, once Chloe was inside and the door was closed.

"I don't know, Kate," said Chloe. It sounded like she was having trouble controlling her breathing. "Max was… she did… I mean, she…"

"Chloe, slow down," said Kate, taking Chloe's hands in hers. "It's not going to help getting worked up. Believe me, and yes, I can see the irony in my comment." She felt Chloe's pulse pounding under her thumb. "Chloe, please, you need to take a deep breath. Come on, with me. One one-thousand and out. Two one-thous… come on Chloe, with me please," she said, shaking Chloe slightly. "One one-thousand and out. Two one-thousand and out. Three one-thousand and out. That's better," she said, noting that Chloe's breathing was slowing down to a more manageable tempo. "That's more like it. Right, tell me what's going on."

"Max went to get coffees, but she hasn't come back," said Chloe, breathlessly.

"Okay, perhaps she got stuck in the queue?" said Kate, but Chloe shook her head.

"No, that was like thirty minutes ago, and she's not answering her phone," she said, and Kate nodded in agreement.

"Okay, that does sound odd," she conceded. "So we'll go to the cafeteria, yes?" She stood, and helped Chloe up as well. She could still sense the fear in the blue-haired punk, and she couldn't help but feel a little of it herself. "Don't worry, Chloe," she said, trying her best to sound soothing, "I'm sure she's fine. She probably got caught talking to someone, you know what she's like."

"Yeah, maybe." Chloe didn't sound convinced, but she followed Kate out of the corridor and down the stairs. However, at the bottom of the stairs, as they came out into the sunlight of the courtyard, Chloe began walking quickly towards the main campus area that led to the cafeteria. In fact, she was walking so quickly that Kate had to jog to keep up, but she didn't complain. She could sense the need in the punk, a need that was growing in her as well. They reached the cafeteria quickly, and Chloe's heart sank at seeing the queue was empty. She looked at Kate, who took her hand.

"Wait here," she whispered, as she approached the counter. The server looked up and recognised Kate.

"Hi Kate," she said, smiling. "Tea for you?"

"Not now, thanks," said Kate, "I'm here looking for someone. I just need to know if my friend Max has been here. She was probably wearing her grey hoodie."

"Oh, uh, brunette, slightly taller than you?"

"Yeah, she came in here about half an hour ago for coffees."

"Yeah, I remember her. It's been quiet in here this morning, just waiting for the lunch rush to start. She was here about, yeah, about half an hour ago, something like that. Two coffees I think. She paid and left with them. Why, is anything wrong?"

"Okay, thanks for that," said Kate, now herself unable to quell a growing anxiety. She returned to Chloe and told her the news.

"Fuck," said Chloe, "she's still not answering her phone. Just tried again."

"Okay, don't panic, Chloe, that's not going to achieve anything. Let's retrace her steps back to the dorm. We know she was here in the last half an hour. You go that way to the dorm, I'll go this way, okay?" Chloe nodded and the two girls split, but Chloe was halfway back to the dorm when her phone rang. She'd grabbed it out of her pocket and answered it before the end of the first ring.

"Max?"

"Sorry Chloe," said Kate, "it's only me." Her voice sounded strange.

"Kate?"

"You'd better come here. I'm near the entrance around the side of the pool building," she said, and Chloe took off running. A minute later she was by Kate's side. The blonde girl was looking down at the ground, and Chloe's blood ran cold in her veins as she saw the object of Kate's attention.

Two coffee cups, and an amount of spilled coffee on the ground.

"Chloe." Kate's voice was wavering and Chloe immediately sank to the ground, her fingers raking through the remnants of her coffee. Straight away, Kate knelt down and wrapped her arms around Chloe. "What's happened to her?"

"I know what's happened," she said, choking back the tears as fire flashed in her eyes. "It's Jefferson. He's got Max."

…

She wasn't sure how she'd returned to the dorms, but Chloe was on the floor of Max's room, weeping profusely. Kate had immediately rung Victoria, who'd excused herself from class and was making her way quickly back to the dorms. She crashed through Max's door without knocking, to be greeted by the sight of Kate, eyes red from crying, on the floor cradling Chloe, who was still weeping with no signs of stopping. Every now and again she'd wail 'Max!', a heart-rending wail of a broken soul. Kate looked up at Victoria as she entered, her eyes betraying her fear. She nodded at Chloe and shrugged, as if to say 'I don't know how to stop this', and Victoria nodded back.

"Kate, could you take my bag back to my room please, and fetch my bottle of water from my fridge?" she asked, and Kate nodded gratefully. She stood and, as she passed Victoria, she heard the taller girl whisper "take your time, Kate."

Once Kate had left, she jumped on the bed as Chloe still cried on the floor.

"Chloe?" she started, hesitantly, but Chloe ignored her, or couldn't hear her, so she tried again. "Chloe?"

 _This isn't working._

"Price. _Price!_ " she shouted. That got Chloe's attention. "Stop fucking crying, Price and fucking sort yourself out!"

"Who. The _fuck_. Do you think. You're talking to?" said Chloe. Victoria made a show of looking to her left and right.

"That would be you, Price," she said. "Nobody else here. Stop fucking crying and sit up. You're acting like a fucking baby and I won't have it!"

"Careful Chase," snarled Chloe, her tears forgotten as she got her rage on. "You want to be fucking careful how you talk to me."

"Oh, and why is that? Do I have something to worry about, or are you just going to fall apart on me?" said Victoria, and Chloe bounded to her feet, getting right in Victoria's face. "That's more like it, Price," she said. "Show me fire, show me rage, show me something other than you falling apart, which is fucking pitiful. Come on, Price. _Fucking_ s _how me!_ "

The slap was quick and hard as Chloe's hand swept across Victoria's face, and Victoria's hand was quickly up on her stinging cheek. With her other hand, she caught Chloe's hand as it prepared for the backhander and she smiled.

"That's more like it," she said.

"Fuck you, Chase," growled Chloe. "Let go of me. _Now!_ " Wordlessly, Victoria let go and Chloe took a step back. "What the fuck are you doing?"

"Trying to get you to focus and stop acting like a pussy," said Victoria. "Hate me if you want, I really don't care at this point. As long as you get your famous rage on and direct it where it needs to go…"

"You… you…" Chloe looked at Victoria, speechless, her rage dissipating instantly.

"Looks like it worked," said the taller girl, suddenly grinning and then grimacing, still holding her cheek. "Nice slap, by the way. Hope it doesn't leave a mark."

"Sorry," said Chloe, looking sheepish.

"Don't be. I knew what I was trying to get you to do," she said. "Look," she continued, her voice finally softening, "I know you're hurting, I know you're panicking, terrified, whatever, but crying on the floor won't get Max back, will it? Chloe Price getting her famous rage on, well, Jefferson needs to fucking look out, doesn't he?" There was a quiet knock on the door and Victoria called Kate back in.

"You guys, okay, I heard…" Kate gasped and pointed at Victoria's cheek. "Tori, you…"

"I know, Katie," she said, "but Chloe's fired up now."

"Are you okay?" said Kate, kneeling and softly caressing Victoria's cheek with the back of her left hand, getting a small smile out of the taller girl.

"Thanks, Katie." She turned back to the punk. "You good to talk now, Price?"

"Yeah," said Chloe, shaking her head in wonder. "You surprise me, Chase. Uh, thanks, I guess. Who'd ever thought you could bully someone to stop crying?" Victoria just shrugged.

"I have to work with the tools I have at my disposal," she said. "It didn't work with Katie, but I had a funny feeling it would work with you." She gratefully accepted a cup of tea from Kate, but Chloe declined. "So, to business. First of all, I have to ask, are you sure?" she asked. "I mean…"

"I _know_ what you mean," said Chloe, "and yes. I know what's happened. Jefferson has her. I'm fucking certain of that."

"But how did he know?" said Kate, shaking her head. "I mean, we haven't said a word. And Chloe, _please_ can you try to cut down the swears? Sorry."

"No, I'm sorry Kate," said Chloe. "I guess I'm too used to saying shit like… sorry again Kate. I know I swear more when I'm upset. I'll try harder, and I've no idea how he knows," said Chloe, "but it's him. I know it is." Tears began streaming down her cheeks again as she furiously tried to rub them away, but Kate took her hands in hers, laid her head on Chloe's shoulder and tried to calm the punk down.

"We'll find her," she said, "We'll work together and find her. I promise you that, Chloe."

" _I'll_ find her," said Chloe, "I'll put a fucking bullet in that piece of shit! If he's touched her…"

"Whoa, Price, hold it there," broke in Victoria.

"Fuck off, Chase!" Chloe said, then she sighed. "Sorry, Kate."

"I… It's okay, Chloe," said Kate, "I know you're stressed and upset."

"You can have that one for free," said Victoria, "but Kate's right. If you're right, and he's got Max, then we need to be _very_ careful about this. Much as I like your idea of piling after her, we can't just barrel around blindly. We can't let him know what we know, okay?"

" _Fuck!_ " yelled Chloe, tearing her hand free and punching the wall.

"Chloe, please," said Kate, sounding far more soothing than she felt. "You need to listen to us, okay?"

"Why?"

"Because you can be very hot-headed," said Victoria, "and that could put Max in way more danger right now. Look," she continued, "even though I'll regret saying this later, I like your way of doing things, Price. It's not subtle, but it gets results. But _please_ , listen to us now. Don't go flying off the handle. Not yet, at least. We have to be very clever about this." She sighed. "I'm beginning to regret getting you fired up now," she said.

If looks could kill, Victoria would have dropped dead right there and then, but she returned Chloe's glare with a serious but intense look of her own. Finally, Chloe's head dropped. "Okay," she growled, "we do it your way. But, once we find Max and she's safe…"

"… I will gladly hold him down for you," said Victoria, "although we still need to be careful. Don't confuse revenge with justice."

"And why not? I like revenge," hissed Chloe. "Jeffershit needs to…"

"Because once we get Max back, she won't want you in jail, will she?" Once again, Chloe glared at Victoria, but finally agreed with her, nodding once.

"So how do we find out where Max is?" asked Kate.

"What were you and Max going to do today?" said Victoria and Chloe thought hard.

"Max said something about Nathan and his phone, Frank and his book, and then tie them up with my step-shit's notes." She stopped talking and looked at Victoria. "Dude, Prescott!"

"What?"

"Prescott. He'll know where Max is, won't he?"

"Actually, you know, you could be right," conceded Victoria, and Chloe immediately stood up.

"Where is he?" she asked, but Victoria shook her head.

" _I'll_ see him," she said. "Sorry Price, but I'll do this."

"No fucking way," snarled Chloe. "If he knows where she is…"

"You think he'll tell you?" said Victoria. "Look what happened the other day. What do you think will happen if you push him?"

"He's not stable, Chloe," said Kate, "and I'd really hate if you got hurt."

"Damn, marshmallow, you really know how to guilt the fuck outta me," Chloe growled as Kate sighed and shook her head. "Sorry, Kate. Okay, so you deal with Prescott. I know Frank, so I'll get his book or some information out of him."

"And Mr Madsen?" asked Kate.

"He's my step-dil… I mean, my step-father. Max said she saw something in him. I guess it's time I found out if she was telling the truth." She looked around the room. "Chase. Get the location out of Nathan. I'll go see Frank. Meet back here as soon as possible, okay?"

"Chloe," said Kate. "Once we do that, perhaps we should take the evidence to Mr Madsen."

"What?"

"Max said that his notes were key, right? And… and he's… he's probably better at this than us." She bit her lip and looked away, at Victoria. "I want to do this right," she said, "I want Max back as much as you do."

"Oh yeah? Earlier this morning, we…" Chloe took a breath. "I love Max, I think. I mean, we… we're a… we're together, okay?" She drew a shuddering breath. "I can't function without her, Kate."

"Aw Chloe, that's wonderful," breathed Kate. "I mean, you and Max are so adorable together. The looks each of you were giving the other when you thought she wasn't looking." She smiled. "Chloe, we'll find her, okay? I know you think she's your world right now, and you might be right, but I'd like to think there's some room in her world for me, too. A… and your world, too," she concluded, fiddling with her cross.

"Let's not get into that argument now," said Victoria, "arguing about who loves Max more isn't going to solve anything. Kate, you come with me."

"To… to see Nathan?" Kate looked scared at the possibility, but Victoria shook her head.

"No, I wouldn't do that to you," she said, "but he is very unstable, and what I say could push him over the edge. I guess I just need some support." She paused. "If you don't mind, that is." Kate smiled.

"I'd be happy to," she said, "but I can't deal with Nathan, Tori, okay?"

"I know," said Victoria. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of you." She stood and offered Kate her hand. "Well, there's no time like the present. Coming?"

"Of course," said Kate, but Victoria caught a quick look from Chloe and frowned. Chloe nodded at Kate and motioned to the door with her head, and Victoria caught on.

"Kate, would you mind getting my cream top?" asked Victoria. "It's in my room, hanging on the inside of the wardrobe door."

"Sure," said Kate, leaving the room. As soon as they were alone, Victoria rounded on Chloe.

"What is it, Price?" she asked.

"Last night, Max and I overheard Jeffershit talking to Wells. He said he was going to try to get Kate alone tomorrow, I mean today now, to find out what she knows. Neither of them believed whatever it was Kate told them about why she was on the roof yesterday, but we thought that Jeffershit wanted her alone for a different reason. I don't know whether he'll still show for class today, or indeed if he'll try and talk to Kate on her own now that he has Max, but you can't let her be alone with him. Ideally, she shouldn't be on her own today, okay?" Victoria nodded seriously.

"You're right," she said, shaking her head. "Fuck, and to think I idolised that piece of shit. Okay, noted, Price. Thanks."

"And… thanks to you, Chase. You… you snapped me out of it earlier. I… appreciate that," said Chloe, quietly.

"Yeah, but next time don't pull your punches," said Victoria, grinning and leaving the room. "Come on, Kate!" She looked back at Chloe. "Stay in touch, yeah?"

"Roger."


	23. 22 Taking Care of Max

"Max?"

Reality washed back into Max like the incoming tide. Slowly, and in fits and starts. Audio came back first, fizzling slowly in like an old radio being tuned.

"Max?" The voice was garbled, but familiar.

She groaned and tried to open her eyes, but for the moment they weren't responding. She groaned again and felt a hand on her cheek.

"Max, wake up."

"Chloe?" Her voice was cracked and groggy, her throat dry.

"Wake up, Max, you're safe." The hand was back, caressing her cheek. It was warm and felt safe. She opened her eyes slowly and a blurred blue something in front of her slowly swam into view. As her vision cleared, Chloe's big grin became the focus of her sight.

"Chloe." Her voice cracked and Chloe was there with a glass of water. She sipped it and the cool fluid soothed its way down her parched throat. "Thanks," she whispered.

"S'ok, dude," said Chloe. "Anything to help my girlfriend." Max broke into a smile as Chloe kissed her cheek.

"Mmm," she said. "Again." Another kiss followed, and another on her lips. She felt her blood pressure rising as Chloe bent down to continue the kiss.

"How do you feel?"

"Like Sleeping Beauty," said Max, smiling broadly. "What happened?" She tried to look around but grimaced from a pain going through her head and neck.

"Don't move, Max," said Chloe. "Just stay where you are for the moment."

"Where am I?"

"Back in your dorm. We found you earlier on the floor by the pool building. Seems like you'd fainted or something, so I carried you up here. Kate supplied the water and sponge, and I've been taking care of you."

"Thanks," said Max, weakly. "What would I do without you, babe?"

"Babe?" Chloe giggled. "I think I like that." She stroked Max's cheek again, putting pressure to prevent her as she struggled to rise. "Don't move yet," she whispered. "Get your strength back."

"My head hurts," said Max, wincing again as pain shot through the base of her skull.

"You took a nasty knock when you fell," said Chloe, caressing Max's cheek constantly. "You dropped the coffees as well, made a nasty mess." She smiled. "Kate's an angel. She stayed behind to clean up while I carried you up here."

"And Victoria?"

"In class," said Chloe. "Max, you really need to stop moving like that, you'll just exacerbate everything." Her voice was soothing. "Please, stay still. Don't move. It'll hurt less that way."

"Hurt… less?"

"Max, stay still." Chloe moved so her face was just centimetres away from Max, quickly kissing her. "Look, you've taken a knock to the head. It's going to hurt, but if you stay still, it'll help, okay?"

"Okay, Chloe."

"Come on, Max, let me take care of you," said Chloe, smiling. "You've done so much for me, it's my turn now." Max smiled and settled back into bed, wincing as the pain shot through her neck once more. She looked at Chloe, who smiled lovingly back at her.

"Okay," she whispered. "Take care of me, babe."

"My pleasure," murmured Chloe, as Max drifted off to sleep once more. She awoke later to find Chloe pressing a wet cloth to her forehead. "Hey, Max-a-million," she said. "Welcome back to the real world." Chloe was off on Max's left side, but when Max turned her head to look at her girlfriend, a sharp pain shot through her neck, causing her to wince and moan with the pain. Chloe looked at her, concerned. "Max?"

"My head hurts," she said. "Chloe, it really hurts." Chloe made some soothing noises and continued to press the cold, damp cloth to her forehead. "Ssh, It's okay, Max," she murmured. "I'm here to take care of you. No, Max," she said, pressing Max's head back down as the younger girl struggled to sit up, "don't get up. You need to get your strength back."

"Come on, Chloe, I feel fine," said Max. "Well, apart from the pain in my neck, that is." She looked around her, confused. "I'm in my room? How did I…" Her brow furrowed. "I remember coming back to you with two coffees, then I… what happened, Chloe?"

"Nothing to worry about, sweetie," she said. "You fainted. We found you and I carried you here." She gently caressed Max's cheek with her hand. "I've been taking good care of you. Kate's been supplying me with bits as well. She's a real angel. She even cleaned up the path where you fell."

"Thanks Chloe." She struggled to sit up, but once again Chloe pressed her back down. "Chloe, why won't you let me up?"

"Max, come on, how many times have you taken care of me?" said Chloe, pouting. "You wouldn't deprive me of the opportunity to pamper you for a bit, would you?" Max smiled gratefully.

"No, of course not," she said.

"I need to know what you remember, though," said Chloe. "We need to work out if you've been hurt."

"I told you, I don't remember… fainting, did you say? All I remember was coming back from the cafeteria with two coffees. Then… nothing."

"No, I mean _before_ that, Mad Max," said Chloe. "We should go through a few things. You know, to make sure your memory isn't hurt as well."

"My memory's fine, Chloe," Max said. "I mean, I think it is."

"Exactly. Let's go over a few things, yeah? It's good to be sure, right?"

"I guess."

"Good. So, before you went to get coffees…" At this, Max smiled.

"I remember that," she said, grinning. "We… we became a couple."

"Yeah, that was awesome," said Chloe. "Who'd have thought you were a filthy lesbian?"

"What?"

"I mean, I never knew," said Chloe, quickly, "you'd never really given any indication that you liked… well, girls."

"I _didn't_ know," said Max. "I mean, I still don't. Not really. I just know I like… you." Chloe grinned.

"Right answer, Maximus Prime," she said. "You certainly made me a happy bunny this morning."

"One is glad to be of service," said Max, coyly.

"Yeah," smiled Chloe, but Max looked at her curiously.

"That was an easy one," she said.

"Easy what now?"

"Come on, Chloe, we're supposed to be testing _my_ memory, not yours. 'One is glad to be of service.' It's a movie reference. Right? Remember?"

"Oh right, of course!" said Chloe. "Yeah, um," she scratched her head, "I can't… dammit my mind's gone blank." She looked sheepish. "Sorry, Max."

"Never mind, Chloe," she said. "I'll let you off this time. Bicentennial Man. Remember? It's what Robin Williams always says. 'One is glad to be of service.'"

"Oh yeah, of course. Silly me!" Chloe grinned. "Forgive me?"

"You don't even have to ask that," said Max, and Chloe resumed gently caressing her cheek.

"One thing I don't get," she said. "Your panic attack."

"Attacks," reminded Max.

"Yeah, I mean attacks. How many have you had now? Remind me."

"Two, I think."

"I must confess, I'm concerned about them, Max. I mean, didn't you totally freeze up when you were in the principal's office?"

"Yeah, but you know what happened there, don't you? We talked about this with Kate and Victoria."

"Right, I mean, yeah, but we're testing your memory, aren't we?"

"Well, there's nothing special about it. I had a panic attack. Or, an anxiety attack, as David called it. Never had one before, but I've done some reading about it and I think I know what the trigger was. It was the first time I'd heard Jefferson's voice since… well, since I was in the Dark Room last week. You know that. And the second time last night, when I heard his voice again outside the school, when he was talking to Wells. Each time I heard his voice I just froze up."

"Yeah, that's right. You're doing really well, Max. But, why don't you tell me a little about this Dark Room? What do you know about it? It sounds like a really scary place."

"It was. See, Jefferson's been… well, he's basically been abducting girls and taking them there to photograph them for years. He drugs them, or gets Nathan to drug them. Most of the time they don't remember anything, but something went wrong with Rachel Amber, and Nathan ended up killing her, and Kate kind of remembers a few things here and there. The Dark Room is, well, it's his studio. It's kitted out with thousands of dollars of professional photography kit. All used for that horrible, horrible purpose."

"But I didn't bring you… I mean, how could you have been in the Dark Room?" Chloe looked really confused. "Unless there's something going on that..."

"No, it was last week, Chloe. The first time I lived through this week. Jefferson… he killed you and took me back to the Dark Room. It was… well, we've been through that, Chloe, I don't really want to talk about it again, okay? Please?"

"Yeah, sure thing," said Chloe. "But how the hell… you've lived through this week already? How is that even possible?"

"Chloe, you know how."

"Yeah, I know that _I_ know, Max," Chloe said, patiently, "but we're not testing out what I know, Max, but we're testing out what _you_ know and understand, right? Just tell me, okay?"

"It was my time travel powers, Chloe. Last week, I found I was able to… rewind a few seconds at a time, relive events to change the outcomes. You know, after you were shot. And during the tornado on Friday, you said that I had to go back to the beginning of the week and… let you die." Tears began forming in Max's eyes and she reached up to wipe them away, but Chloe stopped her hands from moving.

"It's okay, Max. Let me," she said, wiping Max's eyes for her with a tissue. "But you couldn't let me die, could you?"

"No! I… loved you. I mean, I _do_ love you. I couldn't. So instead we've been reliving the week, trying to sort things out properly." She began struggling slightly. "Chloe, I need to get up. We need to find out where the Dark Room is. Jefferson said he's going to see Kate again today. We can't let that happen."

"We won't, Max," said Chloe, again restraining her friend. "But tell me more about your powers. You can… rewind time?"

"Yeah, well you know that, Chloe. After I saw Nathan shoot you in the bathroom, I found I could rewind. That's how I was able to stop him shooting."

"So how do you do it? I mean, is there a magic word, or do you need a wand like Harry Potter?" Chloe chuckled.

"No, it seems to flow through my right hand." She tried to lift up her hand, but Chloe pressed it back down. "But I haven't used it this week. I don't even know if I can any more. I don't want to. I'm done with that stupid power."

"I can't believe how much you went through last week, Max," said Chloe, smiling. "And all for me."

"Pretty much. I mean, I saved Kate from jumping and a couple other things, but yeah, mainly all you, babe."

"You're doing really well, Max," said Chloe. "We're nearly finished here now. Last question now, then we'll know your memory is top notch. Ready?"

"Ask away, Chloe," said Max. "I need to get up now, getting really antsy here."

"One more, and we'll get you up and about. Okay?"

"Do it."

"Do you know where the Dark Room is?" Max tried to shake her head, but again Chloe wouldn't let her. "No Max, stay still, remember? Do you know where it is?"

"No. Like I told you yesterday, I can't remember where it was."

"Good Max, that's really good. You've done so well. Thank you for helping me with that." Chloe stood up and backed away from Max, smiling, although there was no longer any sign of love in her eyes or voice. In fact, her voice sounded… harsh.

"Chloe?"

Chloe smiled again. "Oh, I'm not Chloe," she said. "I just let you think that. It was… useful to me."

"But you look like…"

"I'm afraid that's just your drug-addled brain playing tricks on you. You were… most helpful. Why don't you try and see what's _really_ going on, _Maxine?_ " Chloe's voice suddenly dropped an octave, and the words had a remarkable effect on Max, clearing her brain and vision. Chloe's face and hands vanished, her dorm room blurred and, when it eventually cleared, after a nerve-shatteringly long time, Max nearly screamed in horror.

She was in the Dark Room.

Just as she remembered it from her nightmares. The bright floodlights were off, only a couple of small lights in the ceiling lit the room. She was strapped into the wooden chair that she'd spent so much time in last week, with another strap belted around her forehead, holding her head in place.

 _That's why Chloe wouldn't let me move... or, I mean, why I couldn't move._

 _Chloe?_

"I had to sedate you a couple of times," said a very familiar, and very unwelcome voice, and Max automatically froze once more. "You see, that reaction is _most_ unfortunate. Even though Madsen recognised it for what it was yesterday afternoon, only _I_ realised the point that it had happened. Your… trigger, as you put it. That you had had a panic attack _just_ as I'd spoken. That was… remarkable, I thought. I must say, my mind went into overtime at that point. How on earth would you, _could_ you have had that reaction, unless you _knew_ something?" Jefferson, dressed in a simple white shirt and jeans, and sporting those familiar latex gloves, walked around into Max's view. "Yes, I realised that simply _seeing_ me wasn't the problem, just hearing me. Most interesting. Look at you. I'm talking now, and you've basically shut down. Interesting. Very interesting." He walked over to the sofa and sat down. "So all I have to do is talk, and you can't think, you can't breathe properly, you can't even function." He pursed his lips, thinking, his breathing quickening. "This could be… phenomenal. This could be a whole new, unique series." He grinned, showing his teeth in his enthusiasm, and continued speaking in a breathy whisper, slowly walking around Max. "Panic." He held his arms out, palms forward. "The whole body, frozen in time, but the eyes… oh, the eyes, Max. They'll give the shots their whole, magical dynamic."

"You…" Max managed to get out between clenched teeth.

 _Chloe, help me, please. Kate, Victoria, anyone?_

 _David?_

"What were you trying to say there, Max?" he chuckled. "You see, that last little titbit of information you gave me is so useful. You don't know where you are. Well, you _do_ know exactly where you are, but you don't know the _location_. And if you don't know, then nobody else knows. That's good, Max. That's really good. For me _and_ for you. See, I thought I was going to have to… take care of you, to coin a phrase, straight away. But now, you get to live a little longer. And I get some phenomenal shots for my… private collection. I'm sure this will be… exquisite, Max. Remarkable, unique, and totally exquisite." He stood up. "I can't wait to get started, but oh! Not yet, dear Maxine. Not yet. You see, the anticipation of the event can almost be as powerful as the event itself." He looked at his watch. "Besides, I have a class to teach. I guess you'll be excused from this one… oh, I nearly forgot. You're suspended, aren't you? Again, so helpful to me, Maxine. Always helpful. And good to know that I won't have to worry too much about Kate. Well, not _just_ yet. I'll probably see her again soon. I'm reasonably sure she'll be helpful, too." He chuckled as Max strained against her bonds, gritting her teeth as she tried to fight the numbing panic that had shut down her body. "Don't hurt yourself, Max. And, uh, don't try and rewind." He fastened down her right hand even more tightly, so she could barely move it. "Not that a few seconds would help you, now would it?" He smiled, turned and left the room. Max heard the giant blast door opening, then closing again like the door to a prison cell, and once more, she was alone.


	24. 23 Books and Bowers

"Oh great." Frank Bowers opened the door of his RV to see the blue-haired Chloe standing outside. "Whadda you want?"

"Dude, can we talk?" There was something about her, something in her eyes. Frank nodded.

"Okay. Wait there." He disappeared back inside for a moment and Chloe could hear him shouting at Pompidou, his dog. A few minutes later he reappeared and closed the door behind him. He sat on a plastic chair and looked at Chloe. "This better be good," he growled. "And don't ask for me for nothin'. You owe me, bitch."

"Frank," said Chloe, "I'm not here to fight with you, okay? I'm also not here for weed."

"That's a first," he growled and paused, looking closely at the punk. "You… don't want anything stronger, do you?"

"Nah, man," said Chloe.

"Then what _are_ you here for?"

"I've come to give you this," she said, holding out the envelope of money. Upon seeing it, Frank raised his eyebrows and took it. When he opened it, his eyebrows raised still further as he thumbed through the contents.

"The fuck is this?" Chloe just looked at him.

"The fuck does it look like?" She nodded her head at the envelope. "It's all there," she continued, and Frank looked at her, somewhat disbelievingly.

"I must admit, I wasn't expecting this," he said. "You sure it's all there?"

"Yeah, man," shrugged Chloe. "Count it, if you don't trust me."

"I'll take your word," said Frank. "Well, I'll count it later." He looked straight at Chloe. "Where'd you get it?"

"Probably best you don't ask that," said Chloe, looking at him straight back in the eyes.

"Yeah, I think I'll leave it at that," he said, sitting back in his chair and folding his arms behind his head. "What I don't know can't hurt me. So, seeing as you've paid an' all, fancy a drink?"

"Aye, go on," said Chloe, sitting down next to Frank and taking a can of lager from him. She flipped the top, hearing the hiss of escaping gas, then took a long, satisfying swig and exhaled slowly, blowing out her cheeks as she did so. She put the can on the table and looked at Frank.

"So, go on, Chloe, why are you _really_ here?" he said, looking at her. "The money's nice an' all, but you didn't come here just for that, did you?" Chloe looked straight at him for a few moments, then shook her head, dropping her gaze.

"No, there was another reason," she said, and Frank laughed.

"I knew it! Whatcha want?" Chloe hesitated.

"It's kinda awkward, dude," she said, "and you'll probably say no straight away, but believe me, this is hella important."

"I'm listening," he growled. "Got a feeling I won't like this."

"I need your, um, book," she said, uncertainly, and Frank just stared at her. "The, um, book with your, uh, deals in, I'm not sure exactly what it's called."

"My book, she says. My logbook. Nothing too much, then?" He stood up, glowering. "You were right. How about you fuck right off?" He pointed to the road, but Chloe shook her head.

"Dude, seriously," said Chloe, breathing hard, "I need your help." She was fighting to prevent tears from building, but she couldn't help her voice beginning to crack. "Please, Frank." The cracks in her voice didn't go unnoticed and Frank began to look at her more seriously.

"Okay, okay," said Frank, holding up his hands, "I'm sorry, Chloe. I'm sorry. That was out of line. Look, I can see you're upset." He paused, and his voice softened slightly. "This is serious, isn't it?" When she nodded, he continued. "Perhaps you need to tell me what's going on, yeah?"

"My friend's missing."

"Rachel? Yeah, I know about that, she…"

"No, not Rachel. I mean, yeah, she's still missing, but my other friend. My best friend. My… my girlfriend, Frank. She's gone missing."

"Oh shit, you mean another one?"

"Yeah. Look, I know where…"

"Do I know her?"

"Uh, I don't think so. Her name's Max. Max Caulfield. We were close, I mean, best friends like five years ago, then she moved away. She's back in Arcadia now, and we're… look, we're a couple, okay? I fucking love this girl, we've been a couple less than an hour and she's fucking missing!" Tears were now coming freely, but Chloe did nothing to stop them, like there was anything she _could_ do. "I fucking miss her already, I know what's happened to her, I know who took her, I know what they're going to do with her. Fuck, it's like Rachel all over again, just the fucking same thing. Frank, please, I need your help. Your book will help me find where they are, I know it."

"Whoa, whoa," Frank stood up. "Rachel? You know what happened to Rachel?"

"Yeah, but look, it's Max, not Rachel…"

"Tell me."

"What?"

"Tell me what happened to…" He pointed at Chloe, and she noticed the bracelet on his right arm.

"Dude, that bracelet…"

"What?"

"That bracelet," repeated Chloe. "On your arm." She pointed to it, trying to reach out for it, but Frank moved his arm away.

"Leave it alone, Chloe," he growled, but Chloe wouldn't let it go.

"Where'd you get it?" she pressed.

"From a friend, okay?"

"Bullshit," shouted Chloe, "Frank, that's Rachel's bracelet. I'd recognise it anywhere! Give it to me!"

"No fucking way, Price," roared Frank, dropping into a defensive stance. "She gave that to me when we were…" He stopped and looked away, blinking his right eye. Chloe noticed, and lunged for it, but Frank was remarkably quick and leapt out of the way. "Fuck you, Price," he shouted, his voice breaking, "there's no way I'm going to let this go. It's all I have left of her!" His voice cracked completely as he said this and he collapsed on to the chair, his head in his hands. "I can't, I just can't…"

"Wait, what?" Chloe sounded confused. "All you have left of her? Dude, what do you mean by that?" Frank didn't answer, instead he rose and re-entered the RV, appearing a minute later with a folder. He took out a number of photographs and handed them over. There was no way Chloe could have known, but these were the same photos that she'd seen the previous week, when she and Max had infiltrated the RV in the car park of the Two Whales. She flicked through them with increasing disbelief. They showed Frank and Rachel together, much more than just friends. "Frank," began Chloe, cautiously, "what are these?"

"What do they look like?"

"Frank, Rachel was my best friend. She never said she knew you… well, not in the biblical sense." Chloe was struggling to stay calm. "She was my angel."

"I know," said Frank, "why d'you think I've helped you out, with the money and things recently? I know what she meant to you." He dropped his head. "I never realised Rachel never mentioned me 'n' her to you. I thought she'd have said something."

"Bullshit," spat Chloe. "She'd never have gone with you, you weren't…"

"… good enough? Yeah, I know that," said Frank, nodding sadly. "Every day I kept telling myself, today's the day she'll leave me for something better. Today's the day my heart gets ripped out, but I couldn't get enough. I… I loved her, Chloe, I really did. And I thought she loved me." Chloe had no response to that, she just sat back down, gazing at Frank as he slowly composed himself. Eventually, he looked up at her. "What happened to her, Chloe? Please, I've lived a fucking ghost of a life for six months, not knowing. I need to know what happened. If she… left me, or went to LA, just tell me."

"You're not going to like it."

"I don't care. Anything is better than not knowing."

"You sure? Careful what you wish for, Frank."

"Just tell me, Chloe."

"Last chance. And don't fucking shoot the messenger."

"Chloe…"

"We found her, Frank. Me and Max. We found her… her body." At this, Frank's face drained of blood and he slumped in his chair. A few choking sobs escaped his lips as he closed his eyes. A few moments passed, then he looked at Chloe.

"It's not true… Chloe, tell me you're lying." His voice sounded so broken, so defeated that Chloe began to cry as well.

"I'm so sorry Frank, but it's true," she said. "I saw… you don't want to know what I saw."

"There's been nothing… I've heard…"

"Nobody knows, yet. We know who did it, and what was done, but we don't have the evidence." She motioned to the folder. "You have part of what we need to prove who killed her. We were going to come see you this afternoon, but this morning… Frank, the same thing's happening to Max. I can't have this happen again to me, Frank. Give me your data, please."

"Chloe…"

"You want me to beg you, Frank? You want me to humiliate myself in front of you?" Chloe got down on her knees, clasped her hands together and looked up at the man, who was, to his credit, vaguely embarrassed. "Please, Frank, I love Max, I need her in my life. She's… she's my entire world. I've fucked up so much in the last few years, but I was just turning everything around, well, Max was more responsible for that. She's… it's because of her that I want to do this properly. Frank, please. You have some of the evidence we need to put this guy behind bars for the rest of his life."

"What happened to Rachel?"

"What?"

"I need to know, Chloe. Tell me everything you know. Or no book."

"Frank…"

"I mean it, Chloe." He dropped his voice. "I need to know. I've been in limbo for six months. But I need to know the rest." Chloe sighed.

"Okay, dude, look I don't know everything. Max was… interrupted when she was telling me, but I know who was responsible, and I think I kinda know what happened, but there is one condition."

"Chloe, you're in no position…"

"Frank, now _I_ mean it. You have to agree to this condition, no matter what."

"Which is?"

"When I tell you, you are _not_ to tell anyone else, and you are certainly, abso-fucking-lutely not to go after this guy." She took a breath. "Max made me promise this as well. She didn't want me to end up in jail." She barked a short laugh. "She knows me too well. And I know you, Frank. We've known each other, what, a good few years? And we've had our difference, I know, but I don't want you to end up in jail, dude, okay? So promise me, man. One hundred percent. Then I'll tell you what I know."

"Chloe…"

"Promise me, Frank." She shook her head. "Funny, I never thought I'd be doing this. Max certainly has had an influence on…" Tears began falling again, and she wiped her face. "Come on, Frank, promise me and I'll tell you."

"Goddammit, Chloe, you know what you're asking?"

"Yeah, Frank, I know _exactly_ what I'm asking you. Because Max fucking asked me the same thing yesterday. And if I can promise…"

"Okay, okay, you got me," shouted Frank, flinging his arms in the air. "I _promise_ you. Now, _tell me!_ "

"Okay." Chloe took a deep breath. "She was kidnapped and taken to a photo studio for a series of fucked-up photos. The guy behind this has been doing this for years, abducting girls, drugging them, photographing them. Always Blackwell students, well, mostly, I believe. They usually have no memory of what's happened." Frank was looking at her in horror.

"The fuck?"

"It's true, man. I told you that you wouldn't like it."

"So?"

"The guy had an apprentice, someone who thought he was as good as his master. He kidnapped Rachel, drugged her, took the photos. But something went wrong. He gave her too much and killed her. Then, he buried her."

"Who did it?"

"The apprentice was Nathan Prescott."

"Nathan? That little fucked-up punk?" Frank spat on the floor. "Serious?"

"Yeah."

"And who was the other guy? The fucking psycho bullshit festering turd?"

"Mark Jefferson." Frank looked at Chloe like he'd been shot.

"The teacher?" Chloe nodded. "Bullshit."

"Serious, Frank. Jeffershit's been doing this for years. He did it to Kate last week, and now he's got Max." She took another deep breath. "And he did it to Rachel."

"And she was… overdosed?" The realisation hit Frank like a bolt of lightning from the sky and his expression froze. "Then, that means, I'm… it's my fault."

"What? Fuck, no, man…"

"Where did Nathan get the drugs from huh? If he overdosed her, who do you think sold him the drugs?" Chloe's mouth formed a large 'O'. "Yeah," said Frank, "you get it, don't you?" He paused. "I killed her. I did it."

"No, dude." Chloe immediately took a step towards the older man. "You didn't kill her. Okay, so maybe you sold Nathan the drugs he was using, and maybe there's some responsibility for that, but no way did you kill Rachel." She knelt down in front of him and took his hands. "Frank?" she said. "Look at me." He looked up. "I don't blame you." Her face hardened. "I blame Nathan Prescott and fucking Jeffershit. I'm going to find my girlfriend, and I'm going to make fucking sure those two festering turds won't hurt anyone else ever again." She stood up and laughed, a short, barking laugh. "See? Last week, I'd have been off searching for them with a gun or some shit. Now that Max is back in my life, she's… look at me, Frank. I'm making it my mission to get those fuckers behind bars!"

"You going soft or something?"

"Nah, don't do all that mushy shit," she said, smiling sadly. "Although Max… she's changing me, Frank."

"Yeah, I noticed," he said, and then sighed. "I'm gonna have to deal with this, aren't I?" Chloe nodded sadly.

"Yeah, you are," she said. "But you could help to offset some of that. Help me put those fuckers where they belong, and Frank, please help me find the best thing that's ever happened to me. I can't lose her, Frank." Frank looked long and hard at Chloe, then finally nodded.

"Yeah," he said, "but please don't let this become public knowledge."

"I won't," said Chloe, "and thanks, dude. You don't know what she means to me."

"Actually, I think I do," he said, thoughtfully. "The look you get in your eyes when you talk or think about her. I think know _exactly_ what she means to you, Price. Wait here." He opened the door to the RV and climbed inside. A moment later, Pompidou jumped out, looked around, saw Chloe, barked and waddled over to her. He parked himself at her feet and she scratched his ears.

"Good boy," she whispered, as Pompidou smiled a massive, gaping smile, his mouth dripping with saliva. He whimpered in pleasure, his body trembling as Chloe tickled him in the place she knew he liked. "You're a good boy, aren't you?" she said, and he barked once and nuzzled up to her. Frank reappeared and looked at Pompidou, smiling.

"Yeah, he likes you," he said. "He liked Rachel, too. I guess that was one of the things." He shook his head. "Pompi never liked Nathan. _Fuck!_ I should have known." He slapped the side of his head, then held out his hand. In it were two books. "I don't know how you know about these, and frankly, I don't want to know, as long as you don't go spreading it around. But here, take them. This one's the logbook, the other one holds the codes so you can understand it." Chloe nodded and took the books, quickly flicking through them.

"Bullldog?" she said, grinning. Frank shrugged.

"It seemed to fit," he said, smiling slightly. "It still does. Go on, get off with you. Go and put those fuckers where they deserve." He held the door of the RV open for Pompidou, who, after a last lick of Chloe's hand, bounded inside. He gave her a backhanded wave as he closed the door, and Chloe nodded.

"Thanks, Frank," she said to herself, turning and heading back to her truck. She drove back to the dorms and parked (carefully) before heading off to the dorm building. She didn't get all that far, however, because as she neared the courtyard, she bumped into Kate, who'd crashed through the dorm door and was running around in a blind panic. On seeing Chloe, she burst into tears.

"Chloe! Oh thank G… thank you!"

"Hey, marshmallow," said Chloe. "Whoa!" Kate flung herself into Chloe's arms, sobbing. "What's happened, Katie-pie?" Chloe gingerly embraced the girl, feeling her trembling and shaking.

"It's… it's Victoria!"


	25. 24 Unleashing the Beast

"Wait up!"

Victoria was striding forward so quickly that Kate had to jog to keep up, and when she stopped suddenly, the poor Christian girl didn't have an option but to barrel into her. Fortunately, Victoria was able to keep her feet and grab on to Kate to stop her from falling.

"What is it?" said the taller girl, disentangling herself, but holding on perhaps a little too long.

"Slow down, please, my legs are a lot shorter than yours," said Kate, blushing slightly as she looked down.

"I suppose," said Victoria, a little too gruffly. She saw a flash of something in Kate's eyes momentarily, possibly hurt, and felt a sharp pang of guilt. "Sorry," she said, and Kate's eyes softened. "Falling into old habits," she continued.

"It's okay," said Kate, grabbing her arm and hanging on as Victoria began to walk again. "You're making an effort."

"Yeah, I know," sighed Victoria. "Don't remind me." She looked down at Kate with a glint in her eyes as she said this, and Kate smiled.

"Thanks," she said. Victoria frowned.

"For what?"

"For looking out for me," said Kate. "I know being seen with me isn't cool, and I know it's hurting your reputation… but you're doing it anyway. So thanks." Victoria smiled, a genuine smile this time.

"Don't tell anyone," she whispered, dropping her head, "but I'm not doing this out of pity, or sympathy or anything. I'm doing it because you're worth it." She immediately raised her head and looked forward, her cheeks reddening. Unseen to her, Kate broke out into a huge smile and gripped Victoria's arm tighter.

Outside the boys' dorm, Victoria stopped and looked at Kate. "This is where I must leave you," she said. "I don't want you anywhere near Nathan." She shook her head and sighed. "Talking to him is… it's like a game of chess." She paused, thinking. "A very dangerous game of chess. If you don't get things just right…" She stopped talking. "Let's just say you don't want to know," she said. "Stay here," she continued, taking a deep breath. "I'm not sure how this is going to go. It might be okay, it… it might not. Stay here, keep out of sight. If things go… awry, you need to let Chloe know, okay? Go straight to her. She'll know what to do."

"Tori?"

Victoria looked straight into Kate's eyes with, was that a trace of fear? "Katie, I need to know you've got my back on this. There's no-one else I'd really…"

"…trust?"

Victoria looked down at the floor and shuffled her feet around a bit. "Yeah," she said in a small voice. "Trust. Not something I'm used to, you know. It's… different."

"And"?

"Knowing you've got my back is… nice." Hearing this, Kate's face lit up and she smiled, dazzling Victoria, who just began to burn with embarrassment.

"You don't have to do this, Tori," said Kate, taking Victoria's hand and stepping close to the other girl. "There's probably another way."

"No there's not," replied Victoria. "We need to find Max, don't we? If Chloe's right, and Jefferson has her… Nathan's our best shot, and he won't respond to anyone but me. So yeah, I need to do this. But," she continued, biting her lip, "I'm… Katie, I'm a little scared. I know Nathan, and I know what he did to me the other day. I know what he's capable of." To her surprise, Kate suddenly pulled her into a tight hug.

"I'll pray for you," she said, quietly. "You won't be alone in there."

"Thank you, Katie," said Victoria. "How you could… after I…" She coughed, more out of embarrassment than anything else, and quickly disentangled herself from Kate, turning and entering the boys' dorm. She was halfway up the stairs, putting her game face on when she was stopped by a voice.

"Victoria?"

"Hi Zach," she said, faux-sweetly, internally sighing. This was exactly what she didn't need. She was already wound up, she really didn't need a further dose of adrenaline. And she knew that Zach had adrenaline to spare. "And what do you want?"

"Well, you haven't sent me a message since Monday," said the jock. He was dressed in a basketball-style loose top, and long shorts that seemed to come far too long down his legs. She couldn't see, and she certainly wasn't going to check to see if he'd pulled them down his backside, in that horrific style that some of the guys had been sporting around campus that was apparently 'cool'. Yeah, right. Cool. Hah!

"No, I haven't," she said. "Why would I want to?" she asked, and Zach looked at her curiously.

"After what you sent? It was obvious you wanted me," he said, grinning as he puffed out his chest. "I thought that…"

"Yeah, you believe what you like," she said. "Out of my way, pawn."

"What?" Zach's face fell, although he quickly recovered his swagger.

"You heard me." She glared at him. "Out of my way."

"Come on, Victoria," he said, "you know you…"

"Yeah, I think you've got the wrong end of the stick, 'stud'," she said.

"What?"

"You heard me," repeated Victoria. "Or… or do you need a hearing aid?" He looked at her incredulously, then his expression hardened.

"Fuck you, Victoria," he spat. "My girlfriend broke up with me over those texts!"

"Sexts, not texts," corrected Victoria. She knew exactly how to wind certain people up, and correcting petty errors was particularly effective with Zach. "So, after having proved how untrustworthy you could be, you really expect me to…" She laughed, a high pitched laugh. "Keep dreaming, _little boy_. Now get out of my way."

"You…" He struggled for words. "You're just afraid of me," he said, trying to save some face. "You just know nobody can give it to you the way I can."

"I'd say keep it in your pants," Victoria said, dismissively, pushing past him, "but honestly, take it out if you want." She shrugged and broke into a sad smile. "Nobody'd notice."

 _Just fuck off already. I really don't need your shit right now._

Zach looked up at the departing Victoria, looked back at the door below, opened his mouth, then closed it. Sadly, dropping his shoulders, he continued down the stairs, although if anyone had been watching, they'd have seen him pull himself together, his shoulders rising and his chest puffing out again as he swaggered out into the courtyard.

At the top of the stairs, Victoria paused to collect her thoughts.

 _Ok girl, you know what you have to do. Move, counter-move. Think three steps ahead. Try and keep him off-balance, get him to say something without thinking._

She knew the only way she'd be able to do that was to get him worked up a little. Or a lot. But that was the inherently dangerous part.

 _Well, I know that's something I can do, at least. Get him worked up. The question is, after unleashing the beast, can I control it?_

 _Wait a minute. Didn't Max mention something about Nathan's phone? Shit, do I have to take his phone as well? I guess if he tells me where she is, then I won't need it._

 _[VICTORIA]: Katie, if I need 2 go to Plan B, I'll distract him and get him out of his room. Could you then get inside and search 4 his phone? Room 111._

 _[KATE]: Tori?_

 _[VICTORIA]: He won't be there, Kate. I have faith in u. But only as a backup. Plan A is still a go._

 _[KATE]: Um, I don't know, Tori._

 _[VICTORIA]: Could I bribe you with a hug?_

 _[KATE]: That sounds… nice. I'll try._

 _[VICTORIA]: Thank you. Ok. Need 2 go now._

 _[KATE]: Please be careful, Tori._

 _[VICTORIA]: Will do._

Victoria approached Nathan's room with trepidation, the memory of her last encounter still fresh in her mind (although the marks had pretty much vanished from around her neck). She stopped outside the door and raised her hand to knock, pausing for a moment to take a final deep breath, then she rapped smartly on the door, three times. She could hear a sudden movement from inside and her heart skipped a beat.

"Who's there?"

"It's me, Nate," she said, trying to sound as icy cool as she used to. She noted that it was getting harder and harder to be Queen Bitch, and inwardly smiled. "You gonna leave me out here all day." There was more movement from inside, then the door was unlocked and pulled open. Nathan was already walking back to his bed and had his back to her as she entered the room, pushing the door closed with her foot behind her. She noted the familiar dark tones of his room, the art which she'd always admired adorning the walls. Now however, knowing what she now knew, the art took on a very different, and altogether far more frightening and disturbing meaning.

"Impeccable timing," he mumbled. "Sit the fuck down." He slumped over on the bed in his t-shirt and jeans and she sat on his chair, near the desk, watching him like a hawk, although trying not to make that fact too obvious. On the bed, Nathan was twitching slightly, muttering the same words over and over again. "I can," and "what he wants," Victoria could hear.

"How are you?" she began.

 _May as well start out nicey-nicey._

"Feel like crap," said Nathan. "I can't concentrate. Can't sleep, either." He looked up at Victoria. "Haven't seen you since Monday. Where've you been?"

"Around, Nate, this and that," said Victoria, then, bravely, "you know, my entire world doesn't revolve around you." It had the desired effect. Nathan turned to her, giving her his full attention.

" _What?_ "

"You heard me."

"Oh, you did _not_ just say that to me," said Nathan, screwing his eyes together and sitting up.

 _Okay, Victoria. Deep breath. You can do this. Remember. Opening gambit. Move, counter move, just like always. Nothing different this time._

"Oh, shut up, Nathan," she said, and the boy nearly choked on his drink at her words. "I have other friends, you know. Friends that actually care about me."

"Yeah, of course you do," scoffed Nathan, still spluttering slightly. "Let's see," he began counting on his fingers. "Shall we start with Taylor? What can we say about her? Well, I _know_ she likes guys. Quite a lot, actually, from what I hear around the dorms at night." He grinned. "She's not your friend. She's drunk on power. Your power. The power that I have granted to you." His expression darkened. "Power that can just as quickly be taken away, you understand? And then your other minion, Courtney. Poor old Courtney." Nathan giggled. "She's nothing, not worth a dime. She's terrified of you, _Victoria_. She'll do anything you say because she knows what'll happen if she doesn't. She's seen you destroy others, and she'll stop at nothing to make sure she's not one of them. You call those friends?"

"Well, actually," began Victoria, "no, no I don't. Although I think Taylor might be soon. I'm talking about _real_ friends. Friends that don't care what I've done, or don't covet my power or standing. Friends that want nothing more from me than my friendship."

"Yeah, right. Of course," said Nathan, shaking his head. He jabbed a finger at Victoria's face. "You go on thinking that shit, Chase. You don't have any friends. You don't _need_ any friends. You have _me_ , clear?"

"And who do _you_ have, Nathan Prescott?" said Victoria, her bile beginning to rise, giving her courage she'd never felt before. She thought about Max, and where she might be at the moment. What she might be doing. "Who is _your_ friend?"

"I'm not gonna tell you, fuckface," he snapped.

"And why not? I thought I was your friend, Nate. Well, I used to think so. See, friends don't keep things from each other. Friends trust each other, they rely on each other, they tell each other everything. _That's_ real friendship, Nate. What we have, what I have with Tay and Court, that's not friendship, is it? I used them, and I know now exactly what I've done. You used me, although you won't admit it, will you? You used me, just as you've been used yourself."

" _What?_ "

"Yeah, you think I don't know what's been going on?" said Victoria, eyeing the door and wishing now she'd pulled the chair a bit closer to it. But it was too late now. She was, as they say in poker, all in. "Where's Maxine Caulfield, Nate?"

" _What the fuck are you on about?_ " screamed Nathan, standing up. "And why do you care about that stupid lame whore?"

"Because she's _my_ friend, Nathan. A _real_ friend. I… I trust her and she trusts me. I know that's a concept alien to you, but that's the way it is. And she's missing. And I think _you_ know where she is." Nathan was eyeing her suspiciously now.

"Oh yeah? And why would you think that?"

"Because I think that Jefferson took her. And I know that you know _all_ about Jefferson."

The effect on Nathan was dramatic. The colour drained out of his face and he suddenly had to sit down on the bed, it seemed as if he was having trouble breathing. His eyes widened as he looked at Victoria. "Bullshit," he wheezed. Victoria stood up.

"Bullshit? You think it's bullshit what happened to Kate Marsh? You drugged her at the party." She held up her hand. "Don't even try to deny it, Nate, I know everything. You drugged her, then you took her to Jefferson. And he photographed her. Yeah, as I said, I know everything," she said, watching him closely as he coughed and spluttered, unable to process the information that was coming at him thick and fast now. Exactly how she wanted him. "And now he has Max. So, Nathan Prescott, I ask you again. _Where is she?_ "

"You don't know _anything!_ " screamed Nathan, suddenly recovering and standing up facing Victoria. "You don't get to tell me what to do. _Nobody does!_ " His whole body began twitching violently, but he kept glaring at the tall blonde girl. "I _own_ this school," he screamed, inches from her, little beads of spittle flying out of his mouth onto Victoria's face. She took an involuntary step back. "I own this _whole fucking town!_ If I wanted to, I could blow up this school and _nobody would notice!_ "

"Nathan, calm down, you know how you can get," said Victoria, backpedalling. "Just tell me where Max is, and I'll leave you alone, if that's what you want. You can go run to Jefferson, I'm sure he says he's your friend."

" _He is!_ "

 _Boom! Confirmation._

 _Fuck. Confirmation._

"Does _he_ tell you what to do, Nathan?" asked Victoria. "Does he _instruct_ you? And you _allow_ him to tell you what to do? I thought nobody was allowed to tell you what to do? Or is that bullshit too?"

"I… I… _shut the fuck up!_ " he screamed. "Don't fucking try to analyse me, I pay for people to do that."

"You mean daddy pays?" said Victoria, faux-sweetly, which only served to enrage him further. They'd known each other for so long that Victoria knew exactly what buttons to push. "I bet daddy pays for Jefferson, as well, doesn't he? Does he know what the two of you get up to in… what was it you called it?"

"You know _nothing_ about the Dark Room!" screamed Nathan.

 _Aha!_

Even in Nathan's rage, a light still seemed to go off and he looked at Victoria, aghast.

"The Dark Room, right," repeated Victoria, smiling. "Now, where is this Dark Room? Is it here on campus?"

"You… I shouldn't have told you anything," said Nathan. His eyes were wide with fear and uncertainty. "You'll tell others about it…"

"Nathan, it needs to stop. How many other girls will you drug for Jefferson? You know this can't go on forever. It will end, and it will end badly." Victoria tried to inject calm into her voice. "I know he's just been using you…"

"You don't know _anything, bitch!_ "

"I know that daddy is a bag of shit," said Victoria. "I can see how Jefferson preyed on that, and his money, to get what he wants. You _seriously_ think he cares about you? I know you see him as a second father to you, but really, he's just using you. He could drop you on a whim." A new thought crossed her mind. "If people find out, you think he'd protect you? No, he'd blame everything on you and escape into the night, leaving you to shoulder all the responsibility. You're nothing but a scapegoat. Someone to take the blame when everything goes south. And it will. Very quickly." Nathan's shoulders seemed to sag ever so slightly at this comment, and Victoria pressed on. "Regardless of what you might think, Nate, I _do_ care about you. We've known each other too long for me not to care. Haven't I always been there for you?"

"You just wanted my money," he said.

"Have I ever asked you for money? Or taken anything off you?" she said, and Nathan reluctantly shook his head. "I'm quite possibly the best friend you've got, Nate. I'm certainly the only person who'll tell you the truth, rather than just using you. So why don't you let me help you?"

"You…" Nathan's voice was quiet and small.

"I _can_ help you. You know that Jefferson won't just stop with taking photos of Max, don't you? Do you want the death of _another_ girl on your conscience?"

"Another…" His eyes narrowed once more and darkened. "What do you…" He grabbed Victoria's shoulders, shaking her. " _Tell me what you know!_ " Victoria felt a flash of fear and struggled to bury it, her memory darting back to the other day's events.

"Nate, I know about Rachel," she said, and once more the colour drained out of Nathan's face.

"You can't…" he whispered, hoarsely.

"I know she's dead, I know where she's buried. I know it was you, Nathan," she said, as gently as she could. Now was not the time for wind-ups. "But do you really want to take the blame for everything he's done?"

"How do you…"

"The 'how' and 'why' isn't important, Nate," she said, soothingly. "What's important is that we can't let Jefferson kill Max. Let me help you, by helping me. Tell me where she is, please?"

Nathan looked at her with wild eyes. "No," he whispered. "You're bluffing. You can't know anything."

"I do know, Nate," she said, "do you want me to take you to where she's buried. To the junkyard?" That final comment did it. He slumped down onto the bed, head in hands.

"How could you even…" he said, beginning to sob violently. "I didn't want to… I don't want to hurt _anyone_ , I never wanted to hurt anyone," he said. "But he… he's hard on me, I wanted to be like him so much, but I couldn't." Victoria moved towards her friend, but he pushed her away. " _Don't touch me!_ " he cried, "don't touch me, I'm…"

"Tell me what happened," said Victoria, sitting down on the bed close to, but not touching, Nathan. After a few moments of silence, he began talking.

"I loved her," he said, "I really did love her, you know?" He sighed. "I don't know if she loved me or not, but she said she did." He put his head in his hands. "I just wanted to be like him, you know? I mean, he's the only one who's ever really listened to me. He showed me the most amazing things. He would really teach me everything he knew. And I just wanted to be like him. I thought I was ready, but he was always holding me back. Even when I pleaded with him, he'd always say that… I was ready, I _knew_ was ready. So, I thought I'd show him. Rachel had agreed to meet me down by the beach, we had a drink together and she soon fell asleep. It was… so easy." He looked up at the ceiling for a moment, before dropping his gaze once more. "I took her to the Dark Room and began to photograph her, but she awoke too quickly. I wasn't finished, I wasn't ready for her to wake up, so I gave her another dose. But… I don't know, I must have given her too much or something, because she didn't wake up again." Nathan's head was now in his hands. "I'm sorry, I never meant to hurt her. I just wanted to show… I called him, of course, he came up and… he wasn't happy with me. He said I could have destroyed everything that he'd worked for. He made me take her to the junkyard and bury her. I… took a few photographs while I was doing it, it took me ages to dig the… the grave, but finally I was done."

"Nate…"

"… and that's not the worst thing."

 _There's more? Max didn't mention anything else._

"What's that, Nate?" she asked, fearing the answer, but when it came, it wasn't what she'd feared. It was much, much worse.

"It was while we… I was burying her." He looked up and his face was streaked with misery, his whole body shuddering violently as he recalled the memory. "He was watching as I lowered her down. He'd watched the whole time I dug the grave, too. It was my… penance, he called it. For my carelessness." He sighed. "It took ages to dig, too. He watched me. We'd, well, I'd rolled her up in this blue tarpaulin and… I sort of rolled her in and her body dropped into the… grave."

"I'm sure that must have been stressful for you," commented Victoria, dryly, but it wasted on Nathan.

"You have no idea," he said. "I didn't want to do it, but he… he has ways of persuading you to do things, you see?"

"I guess he does. So what happened?"

"I rolled her body into the grave and, I don't know, it was a bit of a jolt or something, but…" Nathan looked up and straight at Victoria, who nearly screamed at his haunted eyes. "I heard something."

" _What?_ "

"I heard something. A… cry, a sob, I don't know. But it was there," whispered Nathan, hoarsely. The full realisation of what he was saying hit Victoria like a train, and she clapped her hand to her mouth in horror. "Yes," he said. "I heard _her_. I wanted to stop, I told him what I heard, but he made me carry on. He made me _fill in the grave_." Nathan blinked, and his whole body shuddered violently once more. "I hear her every night now," he said. "Crying. Sobbing. _Pleading_. She never stops." He paused. "I'm sorry, Victoria. I… I didn't want to hurt her, I never wanted to hurt her. She was my…"

"I know what she was, Nate, but she's dead now." Victoria paused. "You killed her. There's nothing you can do now to change that." She tried to keep her expression neutral, but it was getting harder and harder. What he was describing was making her want to retch, and it was taking all of her considerable willpower to prevent that from happening.

"I _know!_ " cried Nathan. "I see her face looking up at me every night when I go to sleep."

"It's called guilt, Nate, and it's not pleasant. I found that for the first time the other day. It's good that you feel that, Nate, it means there's hope for you yet." Victoria thought for a moment before continuing. "But, the thing I don't get is, if you did that to Rachel, and you're feeling all the guilt associated with it, why do it again with Kate?"

"You just don't get it, do you?" Nathan laughed. "He _told_ me I had to do it. He'd waited too long since Rachel, and he wanted Kate. It's… I mean I… I don't have a choice, okay? I do what he tells me to do, and he wanted to photograph Kate. I… I don't have a choice."

"Fuck," breathed Victoria. "Nate, you need help, man."

"I don't want to go to jail…"

"Nate, you killed a girl. You can't escape that fact, but you _can_ tell me where Max is, where Jefferson is, you might be able to cut a deal with the police…"

"Chase, I _own_ the police."

"Yeah, but kidnapping and murder? That's a federal matter, Nate, and all daddy's money won't buy them, will they?" Victoria stood up. "Come on, tell me where she is and we can go to the police."

"Victoria…"

"Please Nathan, let's stop this now. You can get the help you need, and we can stop Jefferson from killing Max." She held her hand out. For several moments, Nathan looked at her, then down to her hand, then back up again. Then suddenly his face hardened.

"No!" he yelled. "You're just like all the others, you just want to…" He looked at her and narrowed his eyes. "I won't let you lie to me, I won't let you…" He stood up and, quick as a flash, he crossed the room and grabbed Victoria's arm, twisting it painfully behind her back. He looked around the room and grabbed something from his desk. Victoria felt something poke into the small of her back and she breathed in sharply.

"Nate…"

"No! You don't tell me what to do! Now move." Whatever he had in his hand (Victoria assumed it was his gun) he pushed further, painfully, into her back and she complied, walking to the door and opening it. "Don't play funny fuckers with me, Victoria," he hissed. "You know I've killed once. I'd really rather I didn't see you as well as Rachel in the night." She nodded, trying to control her rising panic, and she complied as he led her out of the dorms.

…

Kate was getting antsy. She'd been sat outside the boys' dorms for a while now, hearing nothing from Victoria. Her legs were stiff and more than once she'd stood up to walk around, trying to get the circulation back into her legs. She'd checked her phone as well, looking for messages from Victoria, Chloe and, more importantly, Max, but there was nothing but silence.

 _Come on, Victoria, where are you?_

She looked around the courtyard, but it was empty, so she rose to take another stroll to ease her aching legs, but as she rose the door opened and she saw the form of Victoria coming out. She began to step forward to greet her friend, but then saw Nathan behind her. She gasped as she saw Victoria's arm twisted behind her back, and Nathan's other arm was gripping what looked like a handgun, jammed into the tall girl's back.

"Come on, Nate," said Victoria, "we don't have to do this."

" _Shut up, bitch!_ " hissed Nathan, roughly pushing her forward. Kate froze, her arms and legs refusing to do anything as she fixated on the gun.

Caught in a horrible dilemma, Kate couldn't decide what to do. Half of her was screaming at her to do something, to save Victoria, but the other half was simultaneously screaming at her not to do anything that could make the situation worse. Instead, she did nothing until Nathan had passed out of sight, breathing hard and trying to stave off the tears that were threatening to overwhelm her. Eventually, her muscles relaxed and she stood, her stiff legs reluctant.

Still unsure of what to do, Kate forced herself to try and calm down, but it didn't work. Unable to think clearly, she found herself running to the dorms to find Chloe. She frantically searched Max's, hers and even Victoria's rooms to no avail. Panicking completely now, she barrelled down the stairs and back out to the courtyard, where she found Chloe sauntering lazily up towards the door. On seeing the blue-haired punk, she promptly burst into tears. "Chloe! Oh thank G… thank you!"

"Hey, marshmallow," said Chloe. "Whoa!" Kate flung herself into Chloe's arms, sobbing. "What's happened, Katie-pie?" Chloe gingerly embraced the girl, feeling her trembling and shaking.

"It's… it's Victoria!"

It was Chloe's turn to take care of Kate now. She led the sobbing girl back up to her dorm room, where, after a little prompting, Kate recounted what she'd seen. Chloe's face darkened when she mentioned Nathan and the gun.

"He did this is broad daylight?" Chloe asked, and Kate nodded. "Shit, he needs… he needs to be stopped."

"Chloe, we can't let him hurt Victoria," cried Kate. "Not now, when she's… or… or Max." She grabbed Chloe. "We have to help them!"

"We will, marshmallow," said Chloe, gently stroking her hair, "don't you worry." She thought for a moment. "But now we're down to just two of us. It's just you an' me, Katie-pie." She held Kate until the younger girl had calmed down, then began thinking, but soon, Kate interrupted her.

"Chloe," she begun, a little hesitantly, "perhaps we should ask for help."

"Help?"

"I think so." She held on to Chloe. "We're way out of our depth now, aren't we? Jefferson has Max, and Nathan's probably taken Tori there too." Chloe looked at her for a long moment, but Kate wouldn't be swayed. "I know you want to save Max, Chloe, and we still can. But we're going to need help."

"You're probably right," sighed Chloe. "But who?"

"I was thinking of Mr Madsen."

"Step-shit? No way," said Chloe, quite adamant, but Kate was quite insistent.

"Chloe, we need his help. You said yourself, we need his information, anyway. And please Chloe, don't call him that name. He apologised to Max and me yesterday, remember?" Chloe grumbled at this but finally relented.

"Okay," she said, pulling out her phone and dialling. "We'll do it your way." She paused. "David? Yeah, it's me. Look, we need to… dude, don't start on me now please, okay? … Where are you? … That's got nothing to do with… you can't jump to conclusions like that, okay?" She took a deep breath. "David, please would you just _listen to me for a second!_... Right… look man, we need your help… of _course_ it's fucking serious. Can we come an' see you. Please? … Just me an' Kate Marsh… no, Max, isn't here, that's kind of why I'm ringing. David, listen to me, okay? … Just… oh for _fuck's sake!_ Uh, sorry Kate. David, Max is missing. So's Victoria… yeah, right, that got your fucking attention. We know kind of where they are, but not exactly… no man, I'm not making this up, okay? … Max's dorm room… yeah, we're on our way. See you in a few."


	26. 25 Acceptance

Acceptance of a situation, no matter how horrific, hopeless or stressful, can have a number of effects on the mind. The most immediate and beneficial effect is the calming of the psyche. Denial of that same situation, however, can lead to panic, distraction and despair; in essence, all the things that set out to wreak havoc on emotions and prevent you from thinking clearly.

And so, Max Caulfield found herself burying the fear and denial, and forcing herself to accept the hand she'd been dealt. Well, trying to, at any rate.

 _Dammit, Max, concentrate!_

It wasn't going well.

It didn't help that the Dark Room was living up to its name. When Jefferson had left, the lights had automatically turned themselves off, leaving the room in a suffocating darkness, a darkness so thick that Max couldn't see her hands, tied to the arms of the chair she was strapped into. She fought to quell the growing panic within her, closed, opened and closed her eyes again. She'd never before been claustrophobic, but it was taking all her willpower to push away the tendrils of fear, snaking themselves slowly but deliberately around her neck and threatening to cut off her source of oxygen.

Whether her eyes were open or closed made no difference to the darkness. It just… was.

 _One one-thousand, two-one thousand, three one-thous… this isn't working._

 _Think Max, think!_

 _One Chloe-Price, two Chloe-Price, that's better, three Chloe-Price, four Chloe-Price._

Thinking about Chloe calmed her breathing back to normal, but she kept her eyes closed and concentrated on feeling the rest of her body with her mind.

 _Toes? Check. Legs? Check. Hips? Check. Chest? Check._

She tried her best to wiggle her shoulders. She couldn't move much, but enough to be able to feel the resistance.

 _Shoulders? Check. Arms? Check. Hands? Check._

There was a strap over her forehead preventing her from moving her head left or right. She knew by the resistance that she could feel her arms and legs, but movement was completely and utterly impossible. It was not a pleasant experience. She closed her eyes again, for all the good it would do, and concentrated once more on controlling her breathing.

 _One Chloe-Price, two Chloe-Price, three Chloe-Price, four Chloe-Price._

 _Right, Caulfield. Let's think this through logically. First of all, you're in a bit of a pickle, aren't you? Can't move, can't see, totally at the mercy of a sociopathic photographer. Not an ideal situation to be in, if I'm honest. However, that's the hand you've been dealt, so let's look at this._

 _Positives. In any given situation there are always positive aspects. Let's focus on those for the moment. So what are they?_

 _Um._

 _There has to be something positive. Let's look further._

 _Um._

 _Come on, Max. Okay, so we'll go right back to basics._

 _I'm alive. That's definitely a positive._

 _I'm alone. That's also a positive. No-one around to annoy or irritate me. Nobody to call me names, or bully me. That's good. Keep it up, Max. Keep it going._

 _I'm not hurt. I still have access to all my faculties. Could come in useful for when I can move._

 _I can speak. At least, I think I can._

The void was so oppressive that, even when Max willed herself to make a sound, she found she couldn't bring herself to speak. Not even a whisper. It was like she was afraid of throwing a rock into a pond, in case she created a ripple.

 _Okay, I'm going to assume I can speak. There's no evidence to the contrary. And if I don't want to make a sound, I don't have to? Right? That's my prerogative. My choice._

 _You got this, Max._

 _Any other positives?_

 _Yeah. One. Jefferson doesn't… interfere with his victims. That's a big one. Definitely something to keep hold of._

 _Okay, now the negatives. There's gonna be a lot of them, so let's focus on the big ones._

 _I'm a prisoner._

 _I can't move. The lights are off._

 _I've been sedated._

 _And, I think Jefferson knows two big things about me. One, my rewind power, and two, he knows I know about him. I remember telling him… Chloe… something, although I'm not entirely sure what I said to him._

 _Dammit, what did I say? It's all a bit of a haze. Was I talking to him… Chloe… who?_

Max thought for a long time, but couldn't remember much of the conversation, except that she remembered talking to Chloe for a long time. She was sure that Jefferson would be back. And he probably wouldn't take his time, either.

 _And one more thing. He knows I know too much. That's probably why I'm not sedated now. And probably means that, without some help, I'm not getting out of here._

That was a sobering thought, and that one thought in particular tested Max's resolve in quelling the panic struggling to affect her emotional wellbeing.

 _One Chloe-Price, two Chloe-Price, three Chloe-Price, four Chloe-Price. Breathe Max, come on, you can do it. Keep it together, keep it together, just like Kit Ramsay._

 _He'll be taking photographs of you. That's a given. He'll also be talking. Probably quite a lot. Now, last week…_

Once again, Max struggled to fight her emotions as she began to recall the events of the previous week. But she fought through, swallowed down the panic and kept counting Chloes.

 _One Chloe-Price, two Chloe-Price, three Chloe-Price, four Chloe-Price._

 _When I was here last week, he got very angry when I would struggle or do something other than what he wanted. He talked usually quietly and calmly, but was prone to sudden flashes of rage. I think I could get him talking, as long as I don't anger him. The more he talks, the longer I can stay… well, here. And the longer I stay here, the more time Chloe has to come get me._

Not for the first time, Max cursed herself for not giving Chloe more information.

 _Can't get into that, Max. Can't start playing the blame game. You're in this situation. Think clear. Think clear and you just might get to see Chloe again._

She smiled, thinking of Chloe and allowed herself a small amount of time to remember the events of… was it still Wednesday? She had no idea what day it was, or what time it was.

 _Chloe. My love._

She couldn't help but break into a large smile.

 _We… we're together. A couple. I am no longer single._

Now that _was_ a pleasant thought. One that Max decided to keep in the forefront of her mind at all times. It was calming.

 _Thoughts about Chloe, her lips, her arms, her… they aren't exactly a calming influence, though._

 _One Chloe-Price, two Chloe-Price, three Chloe-Price, four Chloe-Price. Calm down, Max. Steady on, girl._

She allowed herself one last small smile before focussing once more.

 _Sleep. Before he comes back, I need to be at full alert, right? So, I should try to get some shuteye._

Decision made, she closed her eyes and allowed her thoughts to fill with those of her new girlfriend as she drifted off into a troubled sleep.

…

The electric lights snapping on throughout the Dark Room, one after another, woke Max. She opened her eyes painfully, her pupils taking their time to adjust to the bright lights. She heard the electronic door open and then close a moment later, and soon she saw Mark Jefferson round the corner. He stopped as he entered the main area and looked across at her. He smiled when he saw her, then walked over to the laptop and sat down in front of it. The silence was broken only by the tapping of the keys and the clicking of the mouse. Neither Jefferson nor Max spoke or even acknowledged the other was there, until finally Jefferson turned away from the computer and looked at Max.

"Class was a good one today," he said, smiling. "You might be able to get some notes, but then again, you weren't the only one missing. I had to give black marks to both Victoria Chase _and_ Kate Marsh." He frowned. "Now there's two people I would never expect to cut class. Would you like to know what we covered?" When Max pointedly ignored him, he just smiled and continued. "Well, it's nothing to write home about, really, although I probably shouldn't say that about the classes I teach. Ah, you won't tell anyone, will you?" Max still ignored him, so he just smiled to himself and carried on. "Well, we continued the chiaroscuro theme from yesterday's lesson. But," he said, "you weren't there yesterday, either. Were you?" He tutted with his tongue. "You were off saving Kate Marsh from killing herself. Yes, yes, I know what you said in the principal's office yesterday, and I know what Kate Marsh said too, but I don't believe her." He smiled. "She's a devout Christian. One of the Ten Commandments, thou shalt not bear false witness. She can't lie, and yet I don't believe she told the truth. Does it make _me_ evil for not believing a devout Christian, for suspecting she wasn't telling the truth? Does that make her evil if she lied?"

"Kate Marsh is the opposite of evil," said Max, still refusing to look at him and gritting her teeth. She was relieved to find that, as he was sitting on the other side of the room and not in a close proximity, she was able to force herself through the panic. It was still there, but this time she was able to bury it deep within her soul. "Unlike you," she hissed.

 _One Chloe-Price, two Chloe-Price, three Chloe-Price, four Chloe-Price._

"Ooo," grinned Jefferson, "and out come the claws!" He sauntered over to the sofa and sat down, facing Max who, while she couldn't move her head, had her eyes off to the side. "I'm just going to watch you for a while, Maxine, if you don't mind," he said. "See, before I start our session together, I want to work out exactly what I'm going to do. And savour the experience," he said, his body shivering once as he grinned. "Mm, the expectation of an event can be… delicious. And I need to talk to you about a few things. See, earlier on, you told me a few interesting little titbits, Maxine. About, um, time travel powers, was it? And how you were in here before?" He shook his head in wonder. "I must confess I've been wondering if you were telling me the truth. Well, if I'm brutally honest, I've been thinking about it quite a lot. You see, if you had prior knowledge of this place before today, then could have serious ramifications for, well, you, and anyone you told. But your explanation, Maxine, your explanation!" He shook his head in wonder. "I mean, time travel? Seriously, Maxine? What an imagination you have! And yet," he mused, "you knew about the Dark Room." He began ticking off his fingers. "One. You know of the existence of the Dark Room. That, in itself, is interesting, with possible negative consequences for you. Two. I _know_ you've never been in here before. See the cameras? Well, you probably can't, but rest assured. They're there. I have twenty-four hour surveillance on this place. Just in case, so yes, I'd know if you'd been here. And I know for a _fact_ that you haven't. Three. So _how_ do you know? You claim to be able to travel in time and that's how you know, but I know that's impossible. Four. When questioned, you didn't know where the Dark Room was, and you said you hadn't told anybody else. Five. See, the thing is… if you lied about the time travel, then you must have found out via another method. And perhaps you were lying about not having told anybody where it is. Ah, questions, questions, questions. Always questions. Questions that need to be answered, one way or another." He stood up and walked back to the computer, sitting back down and concentrating on the screen.

"See, the thing is, I know people your age. If you'd have told anyone else, especially other students, they'd have told others as well. People your age don't know how to keep a secret any more. Privacy means… well, there's no such thing as privacy nowadays for your generation. Everything goes straight onto Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or whatever other monstrosities you use to share what you had for lunch, or what colour your nails are, or any other goddamned mundane crap about your sad, worthless lives. So yeah, if you'd said anything like that, it would have been all over social media in an instant. And I'd have the police knocking on my door, wouldn't I? So… maybe you _were_ telling the truth about that. But that still brings us back to how you knew." Jefferson looked at the screen, musing. "Unless… no, he wouldn't have said anything. Would he? He knows what side his bread is buttered on. Besides, he can't stand the sight of you. No, you wouldn't have found out from him," he said, shaking his head. "So what does that leave? Well, the only one I can think of is Kate Marsh. She might have remembered something more than she was letting on. She could have told you about the Dark Room, but not where it was. The two of you are quite close, aren't you? I've noticed. I reckon she'd probably tell you just about anything. Sherlock Holmes said 'once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.'" He smiled. "Yes, that must be it. You found out from Kate Marsh. The little bitch," he spat, "she's supposed to be all pious and holier than thou and all that crap, when she's just as devious as the rest of you. I'll need to have a word with her. Perhaps invite her back for a re-shoot."

"You leave her alone." Max was looking directly at Jefferson now, and the hate on her face was plain to see. It was that hate that was completely destroying any sort of panic she was currently feeling. "She's the sweetest, most generous, big-hearted student in school and I _won't_ let you ruin her life!"

"You won't let me?" laughed Jefferson. "Come now, Maxine, let's not kid each other. You're in no position to do anything. Well, not until you get out of here."

"But I'm not getting out of here," said Max. "Well, except in a wooden box. Am I right?"

"And what if I said no, that I'd let you go eventually. Would you believe me?"

"No fucking way."

"Language, Max," smiled Jefferson. "Your mother would wash your mouth out with soap for language like that. There's no need to be abusive, is there? You know, we understand each other. You're here. I'm here. No need to say hurtful things like that, is there? Okay, so you wouldn't believe me. If that's the case, what's the point in saying one way or the other? You wouldn't believe me either way, so probably best if you just find out for yourself if you ever get out of here." He thought for a moment. "I will say this, though. You're not going to be in here indefinitely. I am fully expecting our sessions together to be… scintillating. Phenomenal. Unique. But… eventually I'll get bored of you. I know it will happen. I'll want another subject. Somebody different. Someone new. Or maybe Kate Marsh again. Maybe not Kate. Maybe someone else, I just don't know yet. So yes, you'll get out of here. How or when? I can't, or won't say. Now excuse me, but I have a few emails to answer." He looked over at her, the corners of his mouth turning upward. "Don't get me wrong, I really _am_ looking forward to our first session, you know," he said. "I'm just deliberately prolonging the anticipation. Don't worry, we'll get going soon." He turned back to his computer and resumed typing.

"You're sick." Her voice sounded strange. It was almost as if it was detached from her body. The Dark Room had this strange acoustic, or maybe it was just her mind playing tricks on her.

"I suppose we'll have to agree to disagree on that," he said, not looking at her. "Oh, look at that," he continued in exasperation. "Would you believe that amount of crap I get in my mailbox?" He chuckled, clicking the mouse several times. "Although, I must say the _other_ mailbox is filling up rather nicely."

"Other mailbox?" Max couldn't help herself, but she was also mindful of keeping him talking.

"You don't think I do all this just for self-gratification, do you?" he asked, with genuine surprise. "Oh no, I have a… a following, I guess you could call it. People have been following my work for a long time, and I must say, since my announcement this morning of a new project, the forum and my mailbox have been flooded with comments and pre-orders. Nobody knows who I am, of course," he continued, "but I am somewhat of a celebrity in these circles. Perhaps even more so that my… recognised work. That crap that's displayed on the school grounds. It's funny how, even when I don't put my full one hundred percent effort into things, it still sells. Just because it has my name attached to it. Hell, I could put out all sorts of crap and it would _still_ sell. Ah well, at least in here I can give you my _full_ attention." He yawned, leaning back and stretching. "Time for a coffee, I think, and then, perhaps, we can start."

"Nobody knows who you are?"

"Of course not! What, you think I'm stupid? I use a pseudonym, Maxine."

"What is it?" At this question, he broke into genuine laughter.

"I'm not going to tell you that, Maxine, now am I? Come on, you'll have to do better than that."

"Why not? You're going to kill me, aren't you? It's not like I'm going to tell anyone." He looked at her, his eyes narrowing.

"You're more intelligent than I gave you credit for," he said. "Shrewd." He thought for a few seconds, then came to a decision and nodded. "We'll see how you behave for our first session, then perhaps we can revisit that particular question afterwards." He stood. "Well, are you ready?"

"What if I said no?"

Jefferson chuckled as he began to set up the tripod and lights. "Wouldn't make any difference, although you really wouldn't want to mess up my shots. Don't forget, you're going to be a star, Maxine. A big, bright, shining star."

Max felt the swells of panic fluctuate again as he drew closer, humming as he set two lights either side of her. "The lighting is _so_ important, as you'd know. Or _should_ know, if you'd paid more attention to my classes. See, that was one thing that really irritated me about you. You have a natural talent, a gift, but you seem to think that you don't need to work at it. That you don't need to put any effort into things; that it would all fall nicely into place. Well, Maxine, I'm afraid that's not the case. You're just wasting your gift, which is… _criminal._ Example in point. The Everyday Heroes contest. You haven't submitted an entry. Well," he chuckled, "you're not going to submit one now of course. But I've a feeling you never had any intention of submitting an entry. Like you felt you were above contests like that. Superior, somehow." He sighed. "I'm sure your entry would have been wonderful. In fact, I could almost guarantee that it would have won the whole contest. Surprised?"

"Not really," said Max, fighting against the waves of panic and gritting her teeth. "I'm reasonably sure that I would have won, not because it was the best entry, but because you wanted me to win. Probably so you could get me alone, drug me and, well, do what you're about to do now."

"Maxine, Maxine, you wound me," smiled Jefferson, picking up his camera. "You think you know me so well, but you know _nothing_ about me." He set the camera onto the tripod and began screwing it in place. "Now, to the session," he said, changing into a far more serious, focussed mood. "I'm going to forego the usual shoot for the moment, I don't want to have you sedated for this; I need you to be fully compos mentis, as it were. I just have to…" He zoomed the camera in, focussing on Max's facial region, "look straight into your eyes. Just your eyes for this session. They say your eyes are a window to your soul. Well, let's find out, shall we?" He activated his wireless shutter released and took a few test shots. Panic was gripping Max once more and her hands gripped the arms of the chair tightly, so tightly that they went white as the blood was forced out of them. "Looking good. Let's just make sure that you can't…" He walked over to Max, who was now completely frozen and tightened the head strap, "move your head, not now I've positioned everything. And you've frozen. Excellent." He smiled and activated the shutter released several times. "The eyes are wonderful to capture. I don't need to use a flash, I'm not trying to photograph the back of your retina. But Maxine, your eyes are beautiful. As your whole body freezes, your eyes reflect that emotional state back at me." He sauntered in close, gazing at Max's eyes as the pupils darted from left to right. "You really _are_ panicking, aren't you?" he said, thoughtfully. "Beautiful. Such a… natural emotion. Natural energy, Maxine." He paused, thinking. "It's odd, it seems that your… heightened emotional state seems to activate on close proximity to me. See, earlier on you were talking. Now look at you." He gently stroked Max's chin with a latex glove-covered finger, causing her to begin hyperventilating. One corner of his mouth turning up, he activated the shutter released several more times as he walked away, back around behind the camera.

 _One Chloe-Price, two Chloe-Price, three Chloe-Price, four Chloe-Price, it's not fucking working! Come on Max! One Chloe-Price, two Chloe-Price, three Chloe-Price, four Chloe-Price._

Struggling to control her breathing, Max closed her eyes, but no sooner had she done so than Jefferson spoke up.

"Maxine, don't close your eyes, my darling," he said. She obediently opened them, just to keep him quiet, and then attempted to do something she'd never done before.

Not quite an out-of-body experience, or anything mystical like that, but she knew she had to control her breathing, to focus on something. Without closing her eyes, she knew that would be far more difficult, so she tried to take herself out of the situation and 'see' Chloe in front of her. As she concentrated, all the time counting slowly in her head to control the rhythm of her breaths, her girlfriend's image began to slowly swim into view in front of her.

 _"Chloe?"_

 _"Hi Max." Chloe squinted, then frowned. "You don't look so good, Max."_

 _"Chloe, I'm scared."_

 _"I know, Maximus, I know you're scared. I would be too, in that position."_

 _"What can I do?"_

 _Chloe looked downcast and sighed. "To be honest, babe, I'm not sure there's anything else you can do right at this moment. I think you're going about it the right way. Try and keep him talking, if you can. Play along, don't anger him and keep things going as long as possible. Be… useful. The longer you're useful, the longer you can stay alive and the more time we have to find you."_

 _"You are coming for me?"_

 _"Count on it, Max. We are searching for you even now. Just keep things up your end, give us a chance to find you."_

 _"Okay."_

 _"And Max?"_

 _"What?"_

 _"I love you," said Chloe, gently cupping Max's cheek with her hand. "Keep remembering that, keep repeating it to yourself, okay? I love you. Don't forget it."_

 _"I love you too, Chloe."_

Max smiled as Chloe gently kissed her cheek, the vision swimming back out of focus as Max concentrated on her girlfriend.

 _One Chloe-Price, two Chloe-Price, three Chloe-Price, four Chloe-Price. That's more like it. You can do this, Max. Soon, you'll be back in her arms for real._

She held on to that thought as her breathing returned to normal. Then she was able to refocus on events in the real world, and saw the Jefferson was sat at his computer, clicking the mouse and typing occasionally on the keyboard. Now and then he'd grin and nod, then continued typing some more.

 _Probably pandering to his fans. If you could call fucking sickos 'fans'. I need to know his handle, and which forums he's posting on. If I could find that out…_

She was once again brought back to reality by Jefferson's phone buzzing. He stopped typing, opened the phone and read the message. Then he frowned, re-read the message and slammed the phone down on the desk.

"Of all the stupid…" he muttered, closing down the computer and standing up. "Maxine, there's been a change of plan. It seems that you have a visitor incoming."

 _A… visitor? Oh no, please let it not be Chloe._

"Are you _sure_ you didn't tell anyone else about the Dark Room?" he said, then continued. "No matter, I guess we'll find out soon enough. Nathan will be here any minute, and he's bringing a friend. Now, I wonder. A friend of his? Or a friend of yours? He didn't exactly say. Either way, we'll need to prepare." He busied himself for the next few minutes, taking the camera off the tripod and putting them both away. The two lights were turned off and moved back behind the sofa, and the main lights were turned off at the studio end of the Dark Room, plunging Max back into darkness, although she could still see Jefferson, she knew that he, and whoever Nathan was bringing, would be unable to see her.

She didn't have to wait much longer. A few minutes later she heard the electronic door opening and closing, although it took longer to close than it did when Jefferson entered earlier. She heard Nathan's voice, quiet and muffled, but saying something she couldn't make out. Jefferson walked into the other area and Max heard his exclamation of surprise. He reappeared back in the main room.

"I know you can hear me Max. You won't be alone any more. Nathan has brought you a little friend to play with." He nodded to his side and Max caught her breath as Nathan appeared, leading a very frightened…

 _Victoria?_

Her eyes were covered with a makeshift blindfold. As she watched, Jefferson ripped it off and Victoria involuntarily squealed. She seemed petrified, looking around at the environment wildly, her eyes squinting into the darkness ahead of her. She looked back at Nathan, who deferred to his teacher.

"Hello, Victoria," said Jefferson, "and welcome to the Dark Room."


	27. 26 The Scooby Gang

"For fuck's sake, c'mon, dude, _listen!_ " Chloe was frustrated, anyone could see that. Her breathing had quickened, her brow was scrunched together, her shoulders were set forward and the expression on her face could cut glass.

"I _am_ listening," growled Madsen, equally irritated, "but you're not making any sense."

"Bullshit!" spat Chloe, "you're just not listening to me."

"Mr Madsen? Chloe?" Kate's voice, although timid, clearly cut through the disagreement and both Madsen and his step-daughter stopped talking and turned to the blonde Christian girl, who was looking at the both with wide, frightened eyes, fingering the cross around her neck. "Um, we don't seem to be getting anywhere." Her voice gained confidence and she looked from Chloe to David and back again. "Chloe, I know you're frightened, I am too, but simply repeating the same things over and over again won't achieve anything. And Mr Madsen, you… uh, you need to put away your pre-conceived notions about your step-daughter. You must be able to see that she's not the same person as she was last week, and I think you know why. Um, sorry." Her words had the desired effect. Chloe slumped back down on the chair, while Madsen looked curiously at Kate.

"You're right," he said. "She is different." He looked more closely at Kate. "But she's not the only one who's changed, is she?"

"I… uh, I'm not sure what you mean," said Kate.

"I think you know _exactly_ what I mean," said Madsen. His voice softened. "Max has had an influence on the both of you, hasn't she?" At this, Kate nodded her head sadly.

"It's not just us," she said. "She's been helping people around campus as well. And Victoria, I mean Victoria's one of my best friends now, and she was one of the main reasons I was up on that roof. But now, she's missing as well. Please Mr Madsen, you have to help us."

"Yeah, dude, I mean, we're coming to you for help. You're the security guard here, right? Isn't it your job?" Chloe's eyes flashed, but Kate put a comforting hand on Chloe's arm.

"Chloe, please, you need to calm down. Antagonising Mr Madsen isn't going to get Max back any quicker, okay?" She looked hard at the punk, whose lips were trembling. It was obvious how close she was to breaking down, hence the flippant remarks. It was a classic Chloe defence mechanism. "Perhaps you need to let me tell Mr Madsen what's happened, okay?" Chloe nodded gratefully, and Kate continued.

"Mr Madsen, I know that last week you were following me around. You thought I was part of the Vortex Club, that I was, um, selling, um, drugs?" Madsen, to his credit, looked at Kate sheepishly and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm sorry to say, but that's basically the truth. I'd received intelligence that drugs were finding their way onto campus. After what happened to you, I thought perhaps you were the one who… I just thought that perhaps you'd sampled some of your own… look, I was wrong. I'm man enough to admit that."

"You weren't wrong," said Kate, and Madsen raised his eyebrows in shock, followed quickly by Chloe. Seeing this, Kate put up her hand and hastily continued. "I mean, you were wrong about me being involved, but yes, drugs _are_ making their way to the students at Blackwell. Max knew what was going on, and she shared that information with Chloe, Victoria and myself last night. We were going to come to you, all four of us, later on today, when we had solid evidence of who was behind it all, because it, um, gets a lot darker. It explains what, um, happened to me, what happened to Rachel, what happened to Chloe and what's now happening to Max and Victoria." Her little speech over, Kate drew a quick breath. Madsen was breathing heavily now, and his face darkened as he looked at both girls with renewed vigour and concern.

"What happened to… Chloe, did something happen to you?" When Chloe didn't respond, he took a step forward. "Chloe, tell me what happened. I _order_ you to tell me!"

"Mr Madsen," Kate stepped in between the two of them, concerned for Chloe's mental wellbeing. "Can't you see that Chloe is traumatised? I know that you and she have been, well, at each other's throats, but this is different." She stepped back and pointed. " _Look_ at her, Mr Madsen. Look at your step-daughter. Look at how on the edge she is. She's traumatised from what happened to her, and she's filled up with panic at what's happening to Max right now. She only needs a push and she'll fall off the edge. I can see it, so you _must_ be able to see it, too." She closed the distance to Chloe and wrapped her arms around the taller girl, pulling her in. " _This_ is what she needs, Mr Madsen. Love. Support. Not orders and discipline. She's a teenage girl, not a soldier under your command. Look at her. _Look at her_!" Chloe had started sobbing into Kate's shoulders. As he looked, Kate nodded to him and he stepped over to Chloe. Kate removed herself from Chloe and gently turned her towards her step-father, who, somewhat awkwardly took her in his arms. At this, Chloe began sobbing uncontrollably. He tightened the embrace, looking awkwardly at Kate, who simply nodded in agreement. She sat down and let Chloe cry into her step-father's embrace for several long minutes. As she cried, the embrace became slowly less awkward and more natural, something that warmed her heart to see. The step-daughter and step-father finally beginning to bond.

"You're holding something back from me, aren't you?" asked Madsen, gently. "Tell me, Chloe. Don't be afraid. I… I'm here for you."

"Is that an order?" sniffled Chloe.

"No," said Madsen. "It's not an order, Chloe. Kate was right, I can't order you around like a soldier. So no, it's not." He began to choke up. "Chloe, if something's happened… I love you, Chloe. Please let me help you. Talk to me, Chloe." He hugged his step-daughter even tighter, and the dam that she'd been holding in for five years finally burst. He began to cry as Chloe talked; she told him all about Max leaving, William's death and how the two events have conspired to shape her teenage years. She told him about the drugs, the trouble in school. She told him about meeting Nathan in the bar, needing money, and what he'd done: how he'd drugged her, tried to take photographs of her, and how she escaped his room. She told him about meeting Max again, and how that had been the best influence on her for five years. Throughout all of this, David listened intently. He cried, but he listened, and he never once let go of his daughter.

"And Max?" he asked, when she'd finished. "She's an important part of your life, isn't she?" When Chloe nodded, he continued. "How important?"

"I love her," she said, simply. David nodded. "I always have," she confessed, "but this morning, we… we understood how our feelings for each other were basically the same."

"She's your… girlfriend?"

"She's the other half of my soul, da… David," said Chloe. "We were official for less than an hour when… we have to find her!"

"I know, Chloe, and we will, I promise you that. But we can't rush into this. You said yourself, you don't know where she is."

"I know _where_ she is," said Chloe, "she's in the Dark Room, with Jeffershit. I just don't know the location."

"Jefferson, that son of a…" growled David, as he finally let go of Chloe and the two separated. "Nobody suspected him, not even me. To think a _teacher_ could capable of… and Nathan as well. Miss Marsh, are you _sure_ he has Victoria?"

"Yes," said Kate, "and please call me Kate. Miss Marsh is my aunt, it's is far too formal for me."

"Agreed, Kate. And I'm David, okay?" He sat down. "You were right to come to me, both of you," he said. "Look, I'm sorry, but I have to ask. You're not making this up, are you? This isn't some sort of dare, or a game, or anything like…"

"What the fuck?" spat Chloe. "After everything I've just…"

"Calm down, Chloe," said Kate. "Put yourself in Mr… David's shoes. Would you believe us straight away?"

Chloe took a deep breath. "I guess… not," she conceded.

"I'm sorry Chloe, but I had to ask. Your reaction was all the proof I needed. I can see now that you have some wonderful friends, Chloe. I know Victoria, I must confess I've never seen the side of her that you describe, Kate, but you seem to be a good, reliable friend. Someone I'd be happy to see with my dau… with Chloe."

"Thank you, Mr… David. Chloe is a very special person, you know. She just needs someone to help guide her energy. And she has a _lot_ of energy," giggled Kate.

"You can say that again," said David, earning a glare from Chloe, "and yes, you were right to come to me. As you've already guessed, because of Nathan's involvement in this, we can't afford to involve the police. So, it's up to us to find Max and Victoria. You're sure they're both in the same place?"

Kate nodded. "Yes, Mr Mad… I mean, David. Victoria went to speak to Nathan, see if she could persuade him to tell us where Max was. But something went wrong and I saw him taking her to, I guess his car. I could see he was holding a gun on her." Her lip began trembling. "I'm sorry, Chloe, I should have done something, or followed him or something, but I just panicked. I froze, I couldn't move or anything, and when I could, all I could think about was getting back to you. 'Chloe'll know what to do', I thought."

"Hey, it's okay, Katie-pie," said Chloe, pulling the younger girl into a tight hug. "You did the right thing. You wouldn't have achieved anything anyway. If you'd said anything, or shouted, or followed them and you were seen, you'd have ended up there as well, or hurt, or… worse. So yeah, you did good, kid. Real good."

"Agreed," said Madsen. "So, how are we going to go about this?"

"Um, David?"

"Yes, Kate?"

"You're taking this awfully well. I mean, you don't seem to be upset, or panicked about this. You, uh… you also seem to be quite happy to let us tag along."

"Kate!" hissed Chloe, but David shushed his daughter.

"No, Chloe, it's a perfectly valid point, and one that deserves an answer." He knelt down on one knee and looked up at Kate. "Kate, I am scared. I'm scared about what will happen to Max and Victoria, but I'm also really scared about what will happen to Chloe if anything happens to Max. I am upset about this as well, I'm just good at hiding it. Being upset isn't going to achieve anything, it will just make the two of you more upset. And as for letting you tag along, well, to be brutally honest, if I had my way, you'd both be nowhere near this. But I know Chloe, and I know she'll find a way to be involved in this either way, so I'd prefer to have her close here where I can protect her, rather than…" He stopped as Chloe flung her arms around him. "Whoa, Chloe! What was… that for?"

"David… I…" sniffed Chloe. "You really care about me?"

"Of course I do, Chloe," said her step-father, gently. "I always have. I just… I'm not good at showing it."

"Max always told me there was a better side to you. I believed her, I guess I never saw it for myself."

"Probably because…"

"…I was too busy being a little shit to you? I know I was David and… I'm sorry, okay? I should have given you a chance. You love mom, that much is obvious."

"Joyce isn't the only Price that I love," said David, really awkwardly, and Chloe smiled.

"Thanks, um, da… David." There was an awkward silence, broken by David.

"It's okay, Chloe, I'm not expecting anything from you. But I do have one request."

"Name it."

"When we go to the Dark Room, you have to follow my orders, okay? I'm not being funny about this, it's deadly serious. I need to know that you, Kate as well, will obey anything I say, straight away, no lip." His head dropped. "I need to know you'll be safe. Okay?"

"Okay."

"I mean it, Chloe. If I say stay behind, I have to know that you'll do that."

"Chill, dude, it'll be cool."

"And if I say run and leave me? I need to know you'll both do that."

"David…"

"Chloe, promise me that. It's critical you obey me in this. Lives are at stake. Understand?"

Chloe nodded, reluctantly. "Deal. As long as I'm there for Max."

"You will be."

"I'll hold you to that, David," she said. "Now, how's about we put the mushy shit to one side, and find Max and Victoria?"

"Let's do it," said David, and Kate nodded. "This part is your show, Chloe. Tell me what you need from me."

"Okay, well, we have one part of the puzzle," said Chloe. "I have Frank's log and codebook."

"Frank…"

"Frank Bowers."

"I know him," said David, frowning. "He's the local drug dealer, right? How do you know… oh, I think I know how you know him. I know he's supplying to the students, but I've never been able to catch him or gain any real solid evidence on campus."

"That's because most of it goes through Nathan," said Chloe. "Anyway, this book details all his deals. We can use it pinpoint where Nathan went."

"How?"

"Because, from what Max said, we know two things. Kate, we know he took you to the Dark Room on the night of the party. We know the date of the party, and the approximate time. So we can get the evidence from this book as to what he wanted, and when he got it."

"Yeah, and I can use that book as evidence to find out who else he's been dealing to."

"Nuh-uh," said Chloe, "sorry."

"What?"

She shook her head. "I promised Frank, David, sorry. He gave me this book because he wanted to help get Rachel's killer behind bars. I had to promise him I wouldn't make it public knowledge. Sorry David." She looked at her step-father, who was looking back at her strangely.

"Rachel's… what? Are you talking about Rachel Amber?"

"Shit, didn't I tell you that part?"

"You haven't mentioned her, except a little earlier, when you said she'd been in the Dark Room."

"Yeah. Shit, sorry. Um, Max and me, we found out what happened to her."

"She's… dead?" David was stunned.

Chloe nodded. "Buried in the junkyard. We couldn't dig her up because it would have looked suspicious on us, and as Max said, the police would pin it straight on us, because the real killer was Nathan Prescott."

"He…"

"He drugged her to take photos, just like he did to me, yes. And Kate. But he gave her an overdose, something went wrong, and… well, you can guess the rest."

"I wish you'd have said something to me," said David, but Chloe shook her head again.

"Nah man, it was only like yesterday that we found out." Chloe began heaving her breaths again, and Kate took over.

"We were going to bring everything to you later on today," she said. "Once we had the final pieces. Basically, the location of the Dark Room. But, because of what happened to Max, and Victoria, we've had to bring the plan forward. You will help us, won't you?"

"Don't worry, Kate," growled David. "They've taken their last student. I promise you that." He thought for a moment, then nodded heavily. "Okay Chloe, you gave your word to Frank, I'll honour that. So what next?"

"We need your files," Chloe said, and David started.

"What files?"

"Dude, seriously? I know everything. I also know you've got security cameras throughout our house. I haven't told Mom, though. I was going to use it… but now, well, shall we just say nothing and they'll be gone? You know, like an… oh, what are they called? Kate? Please? You know, the… um, olive… thingy."

"You knew?" Chloe turned back to David and nodded.

"It's not cool, David. Please, get rid of them. And we need your files. The ones from the garage. You know, the files with all the GPS coordinates, photos of Max, Kate, me, Nathan's car. _Those_ files."

"You know about those as well?" David sighed.

"Yeah. And they're crucial, because I think they'll pinpoint _exactly_ where Nathan took Kate. And therefore, where the Dark Room is."

David just looked at Chloe for the longest time, and both girls wondered exactly what he was thinking about. But finally, he dropped his head and nodded. "Deal. I'll get rid of the cameras in the next few days, when Joyce is at work. Thanks, Chloe, for… you know."

"And your files?"

"Come on. Jump in my car, we'll shoot back to the house. Kate, you coming too?"

"If you don't mind, Mr… David." He smiled.

"Of course not. Come on, let's go."

…

Deciding they needed something to help display the evidence, Chloe had remembered the old wooden board in the garden, the one that she and Max had spent a whole day decorating back when they were kids. She'd set it up in the living room, together with the relevant pages from Frank's logbook pinned to it (Chloe kept the codebook private so they'd only look at Nathan's deals.) David had fetched his files from the garage and, in a move that surprised Kate, he'd offered his entire folder on Kate to the younger girl.

"Here," he'd said, "take it. Dispose of it."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course," he responded. "I don't need it. I was wrong, you were involved, but as a victim, not a perp. I'm sorry, Kate."

She'd taken the folder and put it out of sight in her bag. Kate wasn't sure if she'd read the file or not, but after this was all over, she, with Victoria's help, would destroy the file, bring herself some closure to the incident.

Even though she wouldn't admit it, Chloe was impressed. David's files, especially the GPS coordinates, were very thorough. She'd recognised her own licence plate on there, proof positive that he'd been following her, but she chose not to say anything. Things were going very well at the moment, there was no point in making it worse.

 _Damn girl, you goin' soft or something?_

 _No, I'm not going soft. Max was right. David's a good man. He was just… misguided. So, it's way past time I gave him a chance._

"David. You were… thorough," said Chloe, and David smiled.

"Thanks," he said. "Better to have and not need, than…"

"… need and not have. I know that one, David, but I think you're stretching Kafka's intentions a little bit too far there. Although, I have to confess that if it wasn't for your… um, thoroughness…"

"Let's take a look," said Kate, looking closely at the scraps from Frank's logbook. "Chloe, who am I looking for?"

"Uh, let me see," said Chloe, taking out the codebook and flicking to the rosetta page. "Nathan is… Rott. As in Rottweiler."

"So not particularly friendly and cuddly," said Kate, dryly. "Let me look. What was the date of the party?"

"You don't remember?" said Chloe, smirking, then her expression calmed down somewhat with a glare from Kate. "Uh, yeah, sorry, marshmallow," she said. "It was, well, last Friday night, yeah? The, uh, the fourth of October."

"The fourth, yeah, that would make sense." Kate peered closely at the pages tacked to the wooden board, then jabbed her finger at one of them. "Here we are. Rottweiler. Two transactions on the fourth of October."

"Supplies for the party, no doubt," commented Chloe, but Kate shook her head.

"I don't think so. Um, maybe the first one, but the second one is way too late. Look." She pointed at the page. "Twenty to six, Rott. Blackwell. Two ounces of firebud, five grams of speed and five of cocaine."

" _That's_ supplies for the Vortex Club party," said Chloe, and David looked up.

"Speed _and_ cocaine? And five of each. That's not just for personal use," he growled.

"No, he was dealing," said Chloe. "It's the right time as well. He picked them up just before the party started. Then there's a couple more deals with other… ah! Here's the second one."

"Yeah, that's the one I saw," said Kate. "Eleven o'clock at night. Rott, boondocks. Five grams of GHB."

"GHB?" That got David's attention. "The date-rape drug?"

"Yeah, I know," said Chloe, looking downcast. "I think that's what he gave me that time in the bar."

"That little punk!" spat David. "He'll pay for what he did to you!"

"But eleven is way too late for the party," said Kate, "I mean it started about eight-ish, I think. I wasn't there all that long until…" she trailed off and looked at Chloe in horror. "Chloe," she said in a very small voice, "I think that GHB was for me."

"That would make sense," said David, thoughtfully, but Chloe wasn't listening. She was looking at Kate with some concern.

"Marshmallow?"

"I'm… I'm okay, Chloe, I think. It's just… hard thinking back to what he did to me. A… and you." Kate looked downcast. "I just wish I was stronger, like you."

"Like… what?"

"You know, you were able to escape Nathan. I wasn't. I was easy prey for him."

"Kate, listen to me," said Chloe, taking Kate gently by the shoulders. "There are different kinds of strength. Okay, maybe you're not as physically strong as me, so you weren't able to escape, but I think for me that was maybe luck more than anything else. I woke up and was able to lash out at him. But look at you, Kate. You're one of the most mentally strong people I know. To go through what you've gone through takes real courage. And now, you're even talking about it to me, and others. I tell you, Katie-pie, you're far stronger, mentally and emotionally, than I am, than you give yourself credit for." Chloe sighed. "What I wouldn't give for some of your mental strength right now. Look at me, I'm a wreck. Since Max was… I can't think straight, I can't function without her, Kate."

"That's not a weakness," said Kate, kindly. "That's love, Chloe, and while you currently feel that you can't function without her, it's that same love that will give you strength beyond strength; that same love that will allow you to do what you need to do to be reunited with her."

"Kate?" Chloe was looking at her in awe. "Um, like, wow? That's some real wisdom shit right there! Uh, forgive me, but what do you know about love?"

"I feel the love of the Father every day, Chloe. It might not be the same as loving Max, but it gives me the strength I need. And, funnily enough, when I was weak, just yesterday, it was Max, my guardian angel that reminded me just how strong I can be. Well, Max _and_ Victoria." She took Chloe's hand and smiled warmly. "I'm here for you, Chloe. Just like you were for me yesterday." Chloe's mouth dropped open, but Kate turned back to the board. "Now, if Nathan bought the GHB for me at eleven o'clock, I would have thought… Chloe, does Frank deliver?"

"Not usually, why?"

"I'm just trying to work the timeline. So Nathan wouldn't have bought it at the party. Or, at least, Frank wouldn't have delivered there. He must have left the party, with me, and was on his way to the Dark Room."

"Maybe he met Frank there, or went to see him on his way. Okay," said Chloe, "I get your train of thought. David?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you follow Nathan at all?"

"Not as much as I should have," growled her step-father. "But yeah, I followed him. I had to be careful, didn't really want to get on Sean's bad side."

"Sean?"

"Sean Prescott."

"Ah. Daddy." Chloe faux-spat to her right. "Did you follow him last Friday night, after the party?"

David thought for a moment. "I was tailing Frank that night," he said. "Once the party was under way, I thought perhaps I could catch him bringing drugs onto school grounds." He frowned. "But he never went near Blackwell. Wait a moment," he continued, "he _did_ meet Nathan Prescott. Later on that night, yeah, would have been about the right time. Let me check." He searched through sheets of carefully typed GPS coordinates until he found the page he was looking for. "Got it. I have Frank _and_ Nathan Prescott together at eleven o'clock Friday night. Here." He passed a photo across to Chloe. It was taken in front of an old barn, with Frank's RV and Nathan SUV parked in front of it. "I missed the transaction, if there was one, I think Frank was just about to leave at that…" he said, then clapped his hand over his mouth. "My God! Kate… you must have been in Nathan's car at that point! Kate, I'm so sorry, I didn't know…" He looked horrified, but Kate smiled.

"It's okay, David," she said, "as you said, you didn't know. Nobody did. Don't worry about it. Just be glad that you were there to take this photograph."

"See, marshmallow," said Chloe. " _That's_ mental strength right there."

"I suppose you're right," conceded Kate. "So, where's that barn? David?"

"Just looking," he said, shuffling through his papers again. "As you said, I was quite thorough." He grinned slightly and Chloe smirked in response. "The fourth?"

"Yes. At eleven o'clock."

David shook his head. "There's too much here. Chloe, can you help me?" Chloe nodded and he gratefully dumped a small stack of paper on Chloe's lap and they both started sorting through the sheets. "Try to keep them in order, please, Chloe, in case we need them later on."

"Sure thing, David," she said, quite genially, and Kate looked across at the two of them with a warming heart.

"Found it!" called David, a few minutes later. Chloe immediately jumped up and powered up her laptop.

"Read 'em out," she said. "I'll find out where it is." She entered the coordinates that her step-father read out, then clenched her fist in triumph. "Got it!" she said. "A red barn in the middle of nowhere."

"That's the one," said Kate, looking at the photo in front of her. "Are we sure it's the right place?"

"Looks like it to me," said David. "Chloe?"

"Gimme a minute," she said, clicking and typing furiously. A few moments later she sat up, looking triumphant. "We've got it," she said, quietly but firmly. "We've got it. Guess who owns that barn and the land around it?"

"Prescott?"

"Fifty points to David, although it should only be ten for the world's most obvious answer," she said. "It's Prescott property."

"You think that's where the Dark Room is?" said Kate.

"You were there, Kate. Nathan took you there, then bought GHB from Frank. It… it all fits."

"It's the best lead we have," said David. "But Chloe…"

"I know, I know, I've got to listen to you," sighed Chloe.

"This was your show," he said, waving his arm around. "But from here on in, I'm in charge. Got it?"

"Roger that, sir!" shouted Chloe suddenly, jumping to her feet and cracking her heels together in a snap salute, eliciting a giggle from Kate. "We'll obey you," she said, more seriously, then grabbed her jacket. "Come on, let's go 'chase' after Victoria and Max." A chorus of groans accompanied her as she skipped quickly out of the house, waiting by David's car.


	28. 27 Darkness

It was dark. Again.

"Max?" The small voice rang out again in the darkness, as it had done every few minutes or so since Jefferson and Nathan had left, Max wasn't sure how long ago that was. "You still there?"

"I'm here, Tori," said Max. "I'm not going anywhere, okay? I'm not going to leave you." The same conversation had been replayed many times.

"I know, Max, I know. I'm just… I'm scared." There was virtually no trace left of Queen Bitchtoria, as she was colloquially known. There was just a very scared, very vulnerable teenager.

Actually, make that two scared, very vulnerable teenagers.

"I know you're scared, Tori," she said, trying to inject as much confidence and comfort into her voice as she could. Victoria's voice came from somewhere down and to her left, a position similar to the events of the previous week. "I'm scared, too, okay? But I'm less scared now you're here with me. You know, two heads are better than one, five heads are better than two, that sort of thing."

There was silence for a moment, then an incredulous voice pierced the darkness. "Is that a _reference_? Max, seriously? Now, of all times?" Max started.

"You _got_ that?" she said. "You actually _got_ that one?"

"What Women Want," said Tori. "Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt."

"Learn something new every day," said Max. "Victoria Chase, do you watch rom-coms?" There was silence, then…

"…sometimes," she said, in a very small voice, the sort of voice a child would use when confessing to something dreadful. "I like to…"

"… to what, Tori?" Max suddenly felt a chill shoot through her body.

"… to dream," said Victoria.

"Victoria, that's beautiful," said Max, "but you could have any boy in Blackwell. Or girl, for that matter," she said. "You're gorgeous, surely you know that."

"Thanks, Max," said Victoria, after a few more moments of silence. "But that's not the trouble I have."

"Your reputation?"

"That doesn't help. No, I know I'm attractive, Max. I mean, I go out of my way to look my best, don't I? You know that. The problem is… well, boys only want me for my money or my power… or for a notch on the bedpost. Nobody's ever wanted me for _me._ I just know I'm going to end up some sort of trophy wife." She paused. "If I live that long…" Max heard a disguised sniffle and her heart did a small somersault in her chest at the admission.

"Oh Tori," she said, "I'm sorry you feel that way. I mean, I guess it's a valid opinion, although I mean, I suppose I'm never going to have that problem, especially not now with Chloe. I suppose I'm lucky in that respect, but Tori, you're such a wonderful person underneath, I know you'll find someone. He, or she will probably come straight out of left field, and you'll know. You'll just _know_. I suppose I'm saying that, look. I've found love, and I think true love. And if _I_ can find it, then I know you can. Don't settle, Tori, just don't settle. Oh, and I fully intend to make sure you get out of here so you _can_ find that special someone." She struggled against her bonds for a moment, then muttered, "I'm not sure how yet, but I'm working on it." They fell silent for many minutes, but then Victoria again broke the silence.

"Max?"

"Yes?"

"Is this what happened to you last week?"

Max thought about her experiences before answering. "Sort of. I mean, it's all completely different. I spent Friday in here, some of it with you. But I wasn't tied up like this. I was drugged for a lot of it, but Jefferson wants me sober for his sessions this week."

"Se… sessions?"

"Last week, he went on and on about his obsession with capturing the moment innocence dies, but this week he's found something far more exciting to him. He's realised that his voice acts as a trigger for my panic attacks. So he's trying to capture the essence of panic in the only part of me that isn't frozen… my eyes."

"So he's triggering panic attacks in you?" When Max didn't answer, she went on. "Max, that's _barbaric_!"

"I know," sighed Max, "but there's nothing I can do. As soon as he gets close to me and starts talking, I shut down. My plan was to keep things here going as long as possible, you know, keep him talking, keep him taking the photos, give you, Kate and Chloe enough time to come find me. But that didn't exactly work out, did it?"

"Not as planned, no," said Victoria, apologetically, after a short pause.

"What happened, Tori?"

"Well, I had this uber-brilliant plan to get Nathan to tell me where you were," she admitted. "Obviously it didn't quite work out that way, but it looked like it was working for a while."

"Nathan's sick."

"Yes, he is," confessed Victoria. "But until today, I never knew how sick. He's… he's not a bad guy, inherently. I know you think differently, but he's not. He's… he was ignored by his father, and now with Jefferson brainwashing him by giving him the attention he craved from his father, he's gone completely off the rails." Max heard a thump on the floor. "I _nearly_ got to him, Max, I so _nearly_ managed to get through, to convince him to go to the police."

"You tried, Tori, that's the main thing."

"Not exactly much of a consolation, is it?" laughed Victoria. "Kate was waiting outside the dorms for me, I didn't want her to come in with me to see Nathan. Hopefully she'll have seen me and gone back to Chloe, or something. I… I don't know what else is going on there." She stopped talking for a while, and Max could hear sniffling. "Max, I'm only eighteen years old. I've never known true love. I can't die in here!"

"Tori, calm down, please," said Max. She knew that getting worked up was the last thing she needed. She was barely holding on as it was, and to have a panicking Victoria next to her would surely push her over the edge. "You have to calm down, okay?" She knew her voice was getting a little harsh, so she continued more softly. "Look, I know you're hella scared, we both are. But I've learned that panicking really won't help us. You need to control your breathing. Come on, count with me. One Chloe-Price, two Chloe Price, come on, Victoria. In on one, out on two. Okay?"

"I'll try."

"Okay. One Chloe-Price, two Chloe-Price, three Chloe-Price… Look, Victoria, who's your best friend?"

"Um, well, I…" She thought for a moment.

"Someone who fills your heart with warm fuzzies. Someone who can make you smile."

"Kate." Victoria paused. "Never thought I'd say that."

"Kate, good. Ok, so breathe with me, okay? One Kate-Marsh, two Kate-Marsh…" In the darkness, Max could hear Victoria breathing slowly, in and out, in and out, in time with her counting. "Good, Tori, good. Now, count to yourself, slow your breathing down and control it, okay?" A silence of around five to ten minutes followed, as both girls concentrated on quelling their rising emotions. Finally, Victoria broke the silence.

"Thanks, Max, that really helped."

"Any time, Tori. I've… had a little time to work out how to do these things." She smiled, although she knew the other girl wouldn't see it. "So… Kate?"

"What about her?"

"You're very… protective of her, Tori."

"Well, yes. I mean, I feel responsible for her, Max. After all, I was…"

"No Tori, you weren't. Nathan was. Jefferson was. You didn't help, but you're not to blame."

"That's as maybe, but I still feel… shit Max, I just want her to be happy. I feel… I don't know what I feel, I've never had a friend like that before."

"And how does it make you feel?"

Victoria thought for a moment. "Good. Jumpy. Scared I'll fuck things up." Max smiled involuntarily.

"You know what that is? That's real friendship, Tori. That's exactly how I feel around Chloe." There was a sudden _clank_ and Max stopped talking. "Ssh," she said, listening intently. They heard the electronic door opening. "He's coming back," whispered Max, quickly. "Tori, concentrate on Kate, okay? Just agree with him, don't anger him and try to keep him talking as long as possible. Question him, challenge him if you want, but don't annoy him." She heard Victoria draw in a sharp breath. "I'm here, Tori, don't forget that. I'll be doing the same. If we do this right, we can _both_ get out of here."

"Do you believe that?"

"I do. And so should you." The lights snapped on, half-blinding Max even though she was expecting it. A moment later, she heard the electronic door closing and soon Jefferson appeared around the corner, looking over at her. His head then dropped to her left, and she knew for certain that was where Victoria was tied up. "Be strong," she whispered.

"Morning, ladies," said Jefferson, brightly. He had a takeaway coffee cup in one hand, and his wallet in the other. He set both down on the desk and powered up the computer there, taking care to keep the coffee cup away from the keyboard. A few moments later, Max heard the familiar sound of Windows booting up, and Jefferson spent some time typing away and clicking with his mouse. Finally, he turned in his seat and sipped his coffee, regarding both girls. "Glad to see you're both still here," he chuckled. "Maxine, you're turning into something of a celebrity."

"I'm so glad," said Max, dryly, and Jefferson chuckled again.

"Oh Maxine, so deadpan. They do say that sarcasm is the lowest form of wit."

"You'd know, I guess."

"Nice try, Maxine. I haven't put out any finished items out just yet, but the previews. Maxine, the previews have generated more pre-orders than anything else, ever. Seems like I've hit on a new goldmine." He smiled. "And I've you to thank."

"I'm so glad I could be of service," said Max, again dryly. "Now, if you're _really_ grateful…"

"… I'd let you go? Maxine, I'm disappointed in you. You know how much work we have left to do."

"Actually, no," she said. That brought a curious look from Jefferson, who stopped typing to give her his full attention.

"No?"

"I was thinking that you could let Victoria go," she said, and Jefferson began laughing.

"Let Victoria… ha ha ha! Like I'd do that!" he chortled. "Nice one, Maxine!" He stopped laughing and continued to look at the girl. "Why on earth would you think I'd even consider doing anything like that?"

"She won't say anything."

"Oh? And how can you be so sure about that?"

"Because I'll ask her. And she'll promise me."

"You trust her? After everything she's done to you?"

"She's never broken a promise."

"That's not an answer."

"That wasn't a question."

"Touché, Maxine, touché," said Jefferson, smiling. "You make an interesting point, but I'm afraid Victoria stays right where she is."

"Why? It's me you want to take photos of. She's no use to you here, she wasn't even supposed to be here! You might as well let her go. I know she'll never tell anyone." Max tried to sound as confident and sincere as she could.

"Maxine, you really have to credit me with more intelligence than that," laughed Jefferson. "Did you think I was born yesterday or something?" He rose, walked over to the sofa and sat down, his chin resting on his hands. "Victoria was brought here because she was asking too many questions. Let's think about that for a moment, shall we? Victoria Chase, queen of the Vortex Club, someone who can't keep her mouth shut for two minutes, someone who is _so fucking_ obviously trying to get into my pants but thinks she's being clever about it, someone who bullies Kate to the point that she wanted to kill herself… okay, so that's maybe her only redeemable quality so far, but certainly nothing I've ever seen of her would suggest she could keep quiet about, well, _anything_." He leaned back, shaking his head. "No, if I was to do the most _monumentally idiotic_ thing I've ever done and let her go, she'd be on Facebook before she was back in Arcadia, telling everyone about me." He smiled. "How do you think I've gone uncaught these past years?" Dropping his voice, he continued. "I'll tell you. By being clever. Cleverer than her, cleverer than you, cleverer than anyone and everyone, that's how." He glanced down at the girl on the floor. "She stays." He looked back at Max. "And anyway, it's not exactly true that she is of no use. You see," he continued, his face breaking into a smile, "I have plans for her."

"You leave her alone, you _warped fuck!_ " shouted Max.

"Warped… fuck?" Jefferson laughed long and loud. "Oh, Maxine, you have such a… superior turn of phrase. You children are all the same. So predictable. You try to negotiate, all sweetness and light and then, when you don't get your own way or your ruse is uncovered, you lash out with your tongue or fists. And full of deceit, too. You think I haven't noticed that Victoria isn't awake and listening to everything we say? Victoria, perhaps you'd like to join this… riveting conversation?"

"I looked up to you…" said the blonde girl, after a moment's silence.

"I know. I couldn't help but notice," said Jefferson, disparately. "You always made sure you wore those low-cut tops whenever you looked _up_ to me, making sure I could see… well, it was impossible not to notice, Victoria. I must confess to being rather staggered that you thought I'd ever stoop that low, if you'll excuse the pun. Once or twice I almost said something, but each time I held back. Perhaps it was some morbid curiosity that made me wonder how far you'd embarrass yourself. Last night, when you didn't show, I wondered if you'd finally figured it out, but…" He chuckled and headed back to the computer, sitting and continuing typing.

"You're a fucking _teacher_ …" spat Victoria, quietly.

"Oh, and what's that supposed to mean? That I have to be above reproach? I have to be better than everyone else?" He snorted. "I'm certainly better than you kids. And as for above reproach, well, nobody knows what goes on down here, do they?"

"Nathan knows," said Max.

"True, but he also knows _other_ things. Like, what would happen if he loosened his tongue. Victoria found _that_ out earlier," said Jefferson. "Didn't you?" Victoria stayed silent, but Max's mind whirled, back to when Victoria first made her appearance in the Dark Room.

…

"Hello, Victoria," said Jefferson, "and welcome to the Dark Room." His words were tinged with surprise, and more than a little irritation, although he was doing well to hide it. Nathan pushed Victoria forward after Jefferson had peeled off the blindfold and she stood, looking wildly around her, her eyes darting left and right in the classic sign of someone under an enormous amount of stress.

"Where… where am I?" she said, her voice quavering.

"You're in my domain now," said Jefferson, his voice booming theatrically. When Victoria shrank from the voice, he started laughing, joined swiftly by Nathan. They led Victoria over to Max and forced her to the floor, where they tied her arms behind her, and tied her feet together with some fishing line. Nathan did most of the work, and more than once, Max could swear she heard him softly apologise to Victoria for her treatment. Turning the lights off once more, Jefferson indicated to Nathan, and they both rounded the corner out of sight. They began talking quickly and quietly, but Max was able to pick up some of what was being said.

"… had to bring her," said Nathan. "She was asking too…"

"I don't…," replied Jefferson. "You shouldn't brought her here." He sighed. "You know exactly… her."

"Look, she was asking too many questions, I needed to do something about it before I…"

"Well… here now, so we'll have to make the best of it," said Jefferson. "I don't need to tell you how disappointed… in you."

"… you, Mark. You don't tell me…"

"Actually, Nathan, I do. Remember what I said last time?"

"But…"

"Max?" Victoria was breathing quickly, trying to calm herself down.

"… come back later on, then," said Jefferson. "Look, I'm following you out now. I'll be… later on." He reappeared as Nathan left, switched everything off, then stopped and gazed over at the two girls. "I'll be back later on," he called. "I'll leave you two to get… acquainted. See you later, girls!" He vanished again, the lights went out, the giant blast door opened, then closed, and the two girls were alone in the dark.


	29. 28 The Assistant

"I'd like to get another session done before Nathan returns," said Jefferson, getting up from the computer and walking back over to the girls. "Let's see, Victoria, I think you're better behind the camera, aren't you? So you can help me."

"Fuck you."

"Now, Victoria, that's not the attitude I was looking for," he said, grinning at her obvious revulsion. "You need to be a bit more… engaging, I think. I mean, we can't have you sitting there doing nothing while Maxine becomes famous, now, can we? No, I think you'll help me. I'll set everything up. You… _take the shot_." There was a sharp intake of breath from down to Max's left.

"No! Fucking! Way!" spat Victoria. "You're a sick, twisted, sad excuse for a teacher, and there's no way on earth you're getting me involved in your sick games!"

"Victoria, Victoria," said Jefferson, staying calm, "I'm not _asking_ you. A good teacher makes sure that his students learn a thing or two, doesn't he? If that is indeed possible for you." He walked over to her and knelt down next to her head, causing a few more whimpers to emerge from her. "You think I don't know that you cheat constantly?" His voice had dropped to a fierce murmur. "You think I'm totally clueless that you purchase test papers from the internet for my tests? I'm guessing you do the same for your other subjects as well?"

"How… how do you…"

"Victoria, you are _so_ naïve," he laughed. "Who do you think you're purchasing the papers from? Another student? 'Fraid not."

"You…"

"A nice little sideline for me, selling the answers to my own tests," he said. "I found quite the little goldmine in you."

"Have you no fucking shame?"

"Well, let's see. I get to know exactly who cheats on my tests, and I make a little money out of it." He laughed. "Works out really quite well. So, now you're going to help me."

"I told you…"

"I know what you said," he said, leaning closer. "Look. It may seem as if this is a two-way conversation, that you are able to refuse to do what I say, but make no mistake, _Miss Chase_ , it only _seems_ that way." He stood up. "Now, I'm going to set up the camera. Maxine, perhaps you'd help _persuade_ Victoria exactly what is in her best interests. And yours, come to that." He walked over to the lights and began setting them up. As he did so, Max whispered fiercely to Victoria.

"Tori?"

"I can't, Max, I can't!" insisted the blonde girl. "Please, don't make me do this."

"I'm not going to make you do anything," said Max, "but I am going to _ask_ you to do this. Please."

"Max?"

"Remember what we talked about?" whispered Max. "Go along with things, keep him talking, keep him busy? Give Chloe and Kate as much time as we can."

"But Max…"

"It's the only way, Victoria. And anyway, all you'll be doing is taking the photos."

"Max, you can't ask me to do that for him!" Victoria's voice was desperate, pleading, but Max pushed on.

"I'm not, Victoria," she said, gently. "I'm asking you to do this for me. So that I can see my love again. And you get to see Kate. So please, just go with this." Max felt her heart thumping.

"Max, if I do this, I'll be… dirty. How could I ever forgive myself for playing along?"

"Because I asked you to. Tori, in situations like this, you have to go with things you wouldn't normally do, to survive. You want to survive, right?"

"Yes," admitted the girl, in a small voice.

"Then go with me on this. Please?"

There was silence for a while, then Victoria whimpered. "You won't hate me?" The desperation in her voice almost brought tears to Max.

"No, Tori. I _don't_ hate you, and I _won't_ hate you. Neither will Kate or Chloe." An idea crossed her mind. "In fact, think how proud Kate would be of you now. That you're pushing through your fear so you can stay alive long enough to see her again." She knew this was shameless emotional manipulation, but, like she was telling Victoria to do, she was doing everything she could to stay alive.

"You think so?"

"I know so, Tori. So come on, take those pictures, and let's get out of here. Okay?"

"Okay, Max. I'll do it. For… you. And Kate."

"Thanks, Tori."

"You both finished?" asked Jefferson. He'd finished setting up the camera, with the two lights at 45 degree angles either side of Max. The lights weren't bright to blind Max, but soft and diffused through a white filter. Even though she hated to admit it, Max was quietly impressed; Jefferson certainly knew his stuff. "Maxine, you need to… stay exactly where you are. Like you have a choice, I guess. Victoria, you'll need to come over to the sofa." He paused, thinking, then he walked over to her, half-lifted her by her arms and dragged her over to the sofa. He bundled her down, untied her hands and re-tied them in front of her, putting the small wireless shutter release into her right hand. Max watched her friend's eyes intently, seeing desperation slowly replaced by a quiet acceptance.

 _Good, Tori, good. That's exactly what I need. Good girl._

"Now, Miss Chase, as my assistant, your job will be to do _exactly_ as I say. Exactly, understand?" He hissed into Victoria's right ear and she flinched at the near contact. She nodded dumbly, all the while looking at Max, who was nodding herself, or at least, it looked like she was trying to, although her forehead restraint was doing its job. Jefferson turned up the two diffused lights slightly, and turned off the other lights in the studio completely. Instantly, the only thing visible in the room was Max. The diffused lights were spreading their soft light in a tight-ish beam at the top half of Max's body. Her face was lit, the lights from each side countering the harsh shadows. Jefferson hummed quietly to himself as he adjusted the left-hand diffused light a bit lower, countering by raising the right-hand light a touch as well. Neither Max nor Victoria said a word, but they watched each other's eyes closely and gave whatever unspoken comfort they could to each other.

Eventually, Jefferson was ready and he peered through the viewfinder, zooming in on Max. "Excellent," he muttered to himself, then looked over at the girl tied to the chair. "Ready to go, Max? Ready to make me a _lot_ of money?"

"Fuck you," spat Max.

"As I expected," said Jefferson. "You really don't appreciate my… genius, I think I could say. Yes, I believe that is an accurate critique of my skills." He smiled. "Ready, Miss Chase?" Victoria, just nodded, tears beginning to stream down her face, but tried to give her as much encouragement as she could. "Excellent," he said, looking over the viewfinder at Max. "Let's begin, then, shall we?"

Max could feel her pulse racing as she anticipated Jefferson's arrival, together with the accompanying panic attack.

 _One Chloe-Price, two Chloe-Price, three Chloe-Price, four Chloe-Price…_

Jefferson walked across to her and Max felt herself beginning to hyperventilate. He walked behind her and she felt her blood turn to ice in her veins, just like a rollercoaster in the pitch black. You know the drop is coming, you just don't know exactly when. She tried to hold her breath, but her accelerated breathing wouldn't let her. For several, achingly long seconds there was silence, then…

"Freeze!" whispered Jefferson, into her right ear. Instantly her whole body went rigid.

 _One Chloe-Price, two Chloe-Price, three Chloe-Price, four Chloe-Price…_

With a Herculean effort, she managed to control her breathing, although there was nothing she could do about her frozen state.

"Thank you, Miss Chase. Begin shooting at two-second intervals for 6 shots," said Jefferson and, with an apologetic look at Max, Victoria began pressing the shutter release. " _Two second intervals, I said!_ " hissed Jefferson, with a glare over towards Victoria. "Seriously? You can't count two seconds?" He turned back to Max, smiling. "Those eyes…" he whispered, almost in awe, "your eyes are so expressive, Maxine," he cooed, "more so when the rest of your body refuses to function. Thank you, Miss Chase, you may stop shooting now, but please try harder next time. You should know that I don't suffer foolish assistants gladly." He glared at her once more. "I don't want to be coming over there to teach you how to count. You're supposed to have learned that in kindergarten!" He walked back to the camera and peered through the viewfinder once more. Pursing his lips, he moved the camera to the left, and spent a minute refocusing the lens on Max's eyes, although this time, as he explained, he was zooming out slightly to capture more of Max's face. Max was able to relax slightly and took the time to breathe in and out, controlling her breathing, when a thought struck her.

"How much does a photo like this sell for?" she asked.

"Sell?" Jefferson laughed. "Oh, Maxine, you know nothing, do you?"

"Perhaps, but you _are_ my teacher, aren't you? So teach me. I was just curious, I guess."

"Well, you see," he said, standing up, "the first thing is that these photographs are _not_ for sale. Sale would mean transferring ownership of them, something which I am totally loathe to do. No, people don't buy these. What they buy is a licence to _view_ them, in my own private gallery. And this particular collection, people have been bidding way in excess of what I've been charging for the chance to be one of the first into the gallery."

"Into the gallery?"

"Virtual gallery. Online. And no, they don't _physically_ go there. But, you know, people want to be first, you know how people can get. I've been… pleasantly shocked, I guess you could say, at the rates the digital tickets are going for."

"How much?"

"I'm not going to tell you, Maxine," he said, wagging his finger. "Too much information, you know? But let's just say that each ticket commands four figures." He grinned. "That's nearly five times as much as my last work, and I thought _that_ was successful. No, this is phenomenal interest. And it's all down to you. I guess I should be grateful to you, Maxine."

"I guess you should," she said, sarcastically. "I'm so happy that you chose me to be a part of this."

"You forget, Maxine," he said, sweetly, his voice nauseating every fibre of max's body, "I didn't choose you. You chose me." He shrugged. "You weren't going to be here, were you? Well, if you'd entered the 'Everyday Heroes' contest, you probably would have won, to be honest. But you weren't going to enter, were you? So it would have been Victoria here, most likely." He stalked forward, placing his hand on Max's shoulder and looking straight at her, causing her to freeze up once more. "Let's get one thing _very_ clear, Maxine Caulfield. The _only_ reason you're here is because you are a _very_ nosy little cow." Each word was punctuated with a jab to her shoulder. "No other reason. You stuck your nose where you shouldn't have, and it's landed you here. Please, don't go thinking you're something special, that you're something you're not." He smiled conspiratorially, and walked back to the camera. "Although you have opened up this new avenue of income for me, so I suppose I should be grateful."

"If you were _really_ grateful, you'd let Victoria go," said Max between gritted teeth.

"Don't get me wrong, Maxine, I _am_ grateful. Just not _that_ grateful to forget some basic security ideals. I… I just don't want you to get the wrong idea. I mean, this series of photographs could well be my pièce de résistance, but it is _my_ achievement. You've helped, to be sure, but _I_ have done the work. Not you."

"And about my gift?" At this, Jefferson threw back his head and laughed.

"Oh yes, your gift. I remember that. Something a teacher tells you from time to time to make you feel better," he said, snidely. Max felt a crushing weight upon her chest as he said this. "I suppose your 'gift' is to poke your nose where it doesn't belong. And it certainly doesn't belong behind a camera."

"How could you say that?" Victoria was horrified. "You're a fucking teacher! You're _ruining_ a girl's dreams right there. Max, don't listen to him," she called, then, back to Jefferson. "You're a fucking monster, you know that."

"I'm ruining her dreams? My dear, she doesn't _have_ any dreams. Not any more." He chuckled. "She knows she'll never leave this room alive."

"Wait and see," spat Victoria, through clenched teeth. Max was having trouble breathing, her shoulders had sagged and her eyes were downcast. It didn't go unnoticed. Jefferson cursed and reset the camera position.

"Maxine, we can't have you ruining the shots, now, can we? Sit up straight, there's a good girl," he said, but when the girl didn't comply, his mood changed. "Maxine, are you _listening to me_?" he shouted, causing Victoria to flinch at the sudden change in volume. " _Don't. Ruin. The. Shot! Now, sit up straight!_ " Max tried to comply, but her panic attack had gripped her in an icy embrace, and it wasn't letting her go.

"Shut up!" screamed Victoria. "Can't you see she's in distress? Leave her the _fuck_ alone!" Jefferson spun on his heels and glared at the blonde girl.

"And I suppose I'm supposed to listen to you?" he whispered, dangerously quietly. "I'm supposed to agree with you, walk away and let Maxine recover herself." He smiled. "Oh no, young Miss Chase." He turned back to the camera. "Begin shooting, Victoria. Now. Two second intervals." He adjusted the left-hand light as Victoria complied. Once he'd given the stop command, he sauntered over to the blonde girl and sat on the sofa next to her, ignoring her pointed attempts to shrink away from him. "You see, my dear," he purred, "I simply made sure Maxine was in the right 'frame of mind', if you'll excuse the pun. She makes such an… elegant subject, don't you agree?" Victoria stayed silent. "Ah well, I didn't really expect you to agree with me on that," he said. "But, young Miss Chase has some bite in her. Interesting," he mused, as she tried to shrink away from him further, "I'll have to remember that." He stood up and walked back to the laptop, downloading the photographs that had been taken already. As he sifted through them, he hummed again to himself, every now and again commenting positively on one feature or another of the shots.

"I'll be back with you in a few minutes," he called out, "I'm just preparing a few teaser shots. I must say, Maxine, your eyes, the way they're full of horror, mixed with a dose of panic… you'd almost swear it was real. Oh wait," he chuckled to himself as Victoria strained against her bonds, "they are."

Suddenly, a chime echoed from Jefferson's mobile phone, and he pulled it out, swiping several times. "Ah," he announced, "my _real_ assistant is back. Well, I say 'real' assistant, but we all know he's more of a… how do you say it… lapdog? Yes, lapdog fits him _perfectly_." He sighed. "Looks like our 'intimate' session has come to an end, ladies. No doubt he'll want to… involve himself somehow. I dread to think how."

"He really doesn't know, does he?" said Max, calmed down and relaxed enough now to speak. "He doesn't realise that you're just using him, like a pet?"

"Of course not," said Jefferson. "I mean, it's pretty obvious, but he just doesn't have the intelligence to see what's in front of his nose. Or," he continued, pursing his lips, "he chooses to ignore it. Either way, he depends on me. Especially seeing as his father is such a useless bag of…" He chuckled again. "But I'm far too polite to continue that train of thought."

"You…" Victoria was incensed, an emotion which cut through her fear and bubbled to the surface. "That's my friend you're talking about!"

"Friend? Don't make me laugh! He kidnapped you!"

"He needs help, _Mark_ , proper, real help. Not the sort of help you pretend to give him. He needs medication, he needs proper, sit-down psychiatric help."

"He killed a girl, don't you forget!"

"No, he _fucking didn't_!" yelled Victoria. " _You did!_ " Her outburst silenced Jefferson in an instant.

"Tori?" asked Max. Victoria hesitated, but she was too far in to stop now.

"He told me, Max. He gave Rachel an overdose, but she wasn't dead. She woke up, Max, right when they were in the junkyard. Nathan knew. Jefferson knew too, but he forced Nathan to…" She couldn't continue and broke down, sobbing, joined almost immediately by Max as the shock overwhelmed her.

"She was… _alive_?" Max couldn't comprehend the enormity of what Victoria had revealed. "She was alive, and you knew?"

"Of course I knew!" said Jefferson, regaining the ability to speak. "It was pretty obvious."

"And you made him… no wonder he's fucking tormented!"

"No witnesses," said the teacher. "I haven't got to where I am today by being careless. She knew too much, she'd remember." He shrugged. "She would only have gone to LA, failed at being a model… she was way too short to be a model, didn't anyone ever tell her? She'd have doubtless failed at modelling, ended up waitressing, hooked on cocaine, heroin, or both, forced to prostitute herself to pay for her drug habit every night on the street and finally, she'd have perished, cold, alone and forgotten, just another nobody in Los Angeles. If you think of it like that, we did her a favour." He smiled. "I'm sure she's in a better place, now."

"If you think that, you're more fucked up than I thought," said Victoria. "Either that, or you're just trying to rationalise the most monstrous, the most fucked up thing you've ever done." The smile disappeared off Jefferson's face and he stalked over to where Victoria was still sat.

"You don't know _shit_ about me!" he screamed into her face, little balls of spittle flying and hitting Victoria as he shouted. "You don't know everything that's happened to me, everything I've been through to get where I am today." The blonde girl shrank back into her seat, but to her credit she tried to stay strong.

"Well, I know you're a shit teacher," she said. "You admitted to that earlier when you told me you lied to Max. Good teachers don't lie. And I know you're a fucking monster, you fucking buried a girl alive, you fucking..." She never finished her sentence as without warning, Jefferson's hand came up and slapped her soundly across her cheek, the sound ringing around the Dark Room. Victoria expression instantly turned from anger, to shock, to hurt as tears stung her eyes.

"I'm really not interested in your life story, Mark," said Max. "I just know you're… well, I can't actually think of a word." She hesitated. "I know. Coward. Yes, you're a coward, Mark…"

"… don't call me that," he said, in a low voice.

"… because only cowards hit a young girl who's tied up and unable to defend herself." Max actually started laughing. "You've lost it, Mark…"

"… I said don't call me that," said Jefferson, rounding on Max suddenly. "You don't want to make me…"

"… what? I don't want to make you what, _Mark_?"

"Angry."

"Or what? You'll… kill me?" Max laughed again. "You're going to do that anyway, why not get it over and done now? O… or do you actually need me?" She thought and a smile came to her at the same time as the realisation. "You _do_ need me, don't you? That's it! You need… wait, you need both of us? How does that even work?"

"I don't need _either of you!_ " shouted Jefferson, turning and marching quickly over to the desk. "Want me to prove it to you?" He opened the desk drawer and pulled out a gun, walking back to Victoria and pointing it at her head. "I certainly don't need you, you worthless whore!"

"Please… please don't…" whimpered Victoria, but they were both interrupted by the sound of the electronic door opening and the main lights coming on.

"You say Nathan's your friend?" asked Jefferson, a smile appearing on his face. "Well, let's see if he chooses to save your life. Do you think he'll choose you over me?" His smile grew wider as he stood there, gun pointed directly at Victoria. "Let's find out, shall we?" He looked up as the curtain parted, but it wasn't Nathan who entered.

It was Chloe Price, her electric blue hair lit by the overhead lights.

Max's eyes widened as she saw her girlfriend, face full of thunder walk into the room. In one heartbeat she took in the scene in front of her: Max tied to a chair, Jefferson standing over Victoria with a gun pointed at her head. She wasted no time, bringing her own gun up to bear on the teacher.

"This is for David, you fucker!" she hissed, as her finger tightened on the trigger.


	30. 29 The Scooby Gang Part 2

"I don't like this place," said Kate, looking around.

"Stay behind me, Kate," said David, reaching out with his arm to motion where she should stand. "Chloe?"

"Tyre tracks," she called.

They had arrived at the barn and were searching the outside. It was a large barn, obviously old but in reasonable condition. There were holes in the roof, planks missing, holes in the walls that were boarded up, but, considering its obvious age, the barn wasn't in _that_ bad a state. Chloe had immediately noticed the brand-new padlock on the huge doors, certainly new and solid enough that there was no getting through the barn doors. She'd also noticed fresh tyre tracks leading through the closed doors.

"Kate, see if you can find a way in," said David, walking over to his step-daughter. Kate nodded and walked around the side of the barn. "What do you see?"

"They're fresh," said Chloe, kneeling and scraping her fingers over the tracks. "They don't look like tracks from an SUV."

"So, you're thinking Jefferson rather than Nathan?"

"You know what he drives?"

David nodded. "Beamer. Silver."

"Fits." Chloe pointed to the width of the tracks, making a sweeping motion with her right hand. "The wheel base is too short for Nathan's SUV. I think Jefferson's here. You agree?"

"I do." David knelt down next to Chloe and put his arm on hers. "Thanks, Chloe." His step-daughter looked at him in surprise.

"What for?"

"Not jumping down my throat. Working with me." He cleared his throat. "It… ah, can't be easy, I know." Chloe looked away, trying to hide her embarrassment.

"It's cool, dude," she said, awkwardly. "Look, I doubt things will magically change overnight. We've both gotten too used to needling each other to switch that off instantly, but…"

"It's a start, right?"

Chloe nodded. "It's a start… David." She smiled, and he reciprocated. "As we're… bonding and shit," she said, "thanks for… well, for believing me." She looked away. "I know I haven't given you much reason to do so in the past."

"That's true, Chloe, but you have to give me more credit. I only have to look into your eyes to know you're telling the truth," he said. "When you came to me, you looked positively terrified." He shook his head. "I just hope it works out."

"Just… thanks."

"Don't mention it. That's what I'm here for, isn't it? To help you. That's good observation," he said, changing the subject back to the tyre tracks to cover Chloe's obvious embarrassment. "I concur. It's far more likely to be Jefferson than Nathan." A thought crossed his mind. "Unless it's neither."

"A third party?" Chloe shook her head. "Nah man, it's one or the other. Max never mentioned a third," said Chloe, but David looked at her curiously.

"And how exactly does Max know all this?" he asked. Chloe screwed her face up.

"Uh, can we not go into that, David?" she said. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you. It's nothing illegal," she continued, hastily. "Max wasn't mixed up in this, except as a victim. Shit, I've probably said too much already." For his part, David looked horrified.

"So Max was already… shit, Chloe, we've got to find her," he said, with renewed urgency, and his step-daughter nodded.

"David!" It was Kate. She popped her head around the corner of the barn. "I've found a way in!"

"Good work, Kate," said David. He motioned to Chloe, who stood. "Come on, let's get inside." She followed him around the corner, to where Kate had found the way in. She'd removed a corrugated metal sheet from the die of the barn to reveal a large hole, large enough for a fully-grown human to get through. She smiled as the two approached and pointed to the hole, which had been enlarged by Kate moving the metal sheet covering it up.

"A squirrel helped me," she said, climbing through the gap. "He nipped in here as I came close, kind of pointed the way." David ducked inside, but halfway through he stopped and looked back.

"Chloe, be careful," he said, holding out a hand. His step-daughter nodded and took the hand, accepting David's help through the gap. Inside, the silence was palpable, and they took a moment to look around in awe. "Kate," stay close," said David, motioning to her to stay behind him. "We don't know what's in here, except that Jefferson's around here somewhere." She nodded.

"Big place," commented Chloe, as a shiver coursed through her spine. Kate noticed, and sidled over to Chloe.

"You okay?" she asked.

"What? Oh, yeah," answered the punk. "Getting a kind of deja-vu here. Odd."

"Not really," said Kate. Chloe looked at her.

"What? I've never been here," she said.

"Yes you have."

"You going senile?" said Chloe. "I mean, I know that memory is supposed to be the first to go, but it's started early with you?"

"No, silly," laughed Kate. "But according to Max, you and she came here last week, remember? When you were looking for Rachel?"

"Shit, you're right." Another shiver. "Damn, Kate, you mean I… how would that even work?"

"I don't know, Chloe," admitted Kate. "But it's the only other time you've been here, isn't it?"

"I guess," she said, dubiously. "I mean, I don't recognise this place, so it can't be that. But that's a bit weird, right?"

"Who knows," said Kate. "You and Max have a real connection, don't you? Something might have subconsciously come back with her from last week."

"You think?"

"I'm… improvising here, Chloe," giggled Kate. "But something's happened. Do you remember anything specific?"

Chloe took a few moments to look around, then shook her head. "Sorry, nothing," she said. She walked further into the barn. Shafts of light permeated through the holes in the roof and the gaps in the plank, resulting in beams of god-light piercing the air, highlighting the dust which had been disturbed, hanging lazily in the air. The ground was littered with straw and dirt, scattered around the place, on the floor and in piles. The centrepiece of the barn was a large silver, high performance car parked, with the tyre tracks leading from the door. She walked over to it while Kate noticed a chest near where they'd entered. "David," she called, and he walked over to her.

"What is it?"

"This is Jefferson's car, I'm sure of it."

"Yeah," said David, walking around the back. "TPFTHLK. This is his." He took some photographs with his phone and Chloe did likewise. "I can't believe he's mixed up in this." He shook his head. "Goddamn it, Chloe, he's a _teacher_! He's supposed to be a pillar of society, he's supposed to be a _fucking role model!_ " He realised what he'd said, and immediately apologised. "Sorry, Chloe," he said.

"Don't be, dude," said Chloe. "I've heard worse." She looked sheepish. "I've said worse." She hesitated. "I've said worse to you."

"I deserved some of it."

"No you…"

"Yes, Chloe. I deserved _some_ of it. Not all of it, though."

She smiled. "Agreed." She looked up. "For what it's worth, David… I'm sorry. I'm sorry for a lot of things, but I'm sorry for some of the things I said to you."

"Last week, I'd have… but right now, Chloe, it's worth a lot more. Apology accepted." He smiled, and Chloe couldn't help but smile back. "Question is. If this is his car, where is he?"

"No idea," said Chloe, getting up and walking back to Kate. "Found anything?" she asked, and the younger girl nodded.

"This is actually quite interesting," she said. She'd opened the trunk to find it was full of old documents, and was sifting through them. "I mean, there's nothing here relevant to… you know, but there's plenty of interesting information about the Prescotts. It goes back quite a way as well. Look." She handed Chloe a letter.

 _July 22, 1903_

 _Martin Lewis Prescott_

 _Prescott Ranch_

 _Arcadia Bay, Oregon_

 _Dearest Mr Lyndon,_

 _I am writing in regards to your outstanding debts that you have chosen to ignore. The Prescotts may not be established business gentlemen but we are businessmen and expect our due. We take your silence as a personal insult and thus dedicate our family name to making you pay your debt with ten percent interest plus a written apology. If these conditions are not met by the end of the day July 24, in the year of our Lord 1903, rest assured we will make your life a living hell._

 _Kindest regards_

 _MLP_

"… and these newspaper cuttings. 'Harry Aaron Prescott and family donate new library to Arcadia Bay'. And this one. 'Prescott Industries celebrate grand opening'. And this… 'The Prescotts bring bomb shelter boom to town'."

"So? Just proves that Grandpa Prescott was a dick, too." Chloe suddenly shivered again.

"More deja-vu?" asked Kate.

"Yeah. I don't understand it," said Chloe, "but this feels weirdly familiar." She shook herself to clear her head. "Anyway, let's get on with it. Anything here about the Dark Room?" Kate shook her head.

"Nothing that I've found. I'll keep looking."

"Okay." Chloe rose and tramped over to David. "Anything?"

"Yeah," said her step-father. "This is interesting." He pointed to the floor behind the car. Underneath the straw, set into the boards on the floor, was a large, polished metal ring. He lifted it up, testing its weight. It was heavy.

"A trapdoor?"

David nodded. "Seems like it," he said, "but it's locked. I can't open it." Chloe just looked at him.

"Oh, to be a weak, old man," she joked, rolling up the sleeves of her jacket. "Stand back, old man." David chuckled at her and did as he was told and watched as Chloe stretched her arms behind her, linked her hands around the ring, arched her back, and pulled.

With no effect.

She tried again, straining to lift the trapdoor. It seemed to budge slightly, then caught on something and wouldn't lift any further. She looked up at David, who was (unsuccessfully) trying not to smirk.

"Problem?" he asked, chuckling, and Chloe nodded, trying to be serious, but failing.

"Seems to be locked," she said. "Can't quite budge it."

"Want to try it with me?"

"No point," she said. "There's a lock or something. I don't think brute strength is going to solve this." She knelt down and cleared the dirt away from the board with her hands. "As I thought," she said, pointing. "Keyhole. Bastard's locked it from the other side."

"Let me have a look," said David, kneeling down and shining his torch at the floor. He could see the keyhole, but on seeing it, his head dropped. "That's a special key," he said. "We're not getting in there without it. _Dammit_!" He looked at Chloe. "Any ideas?"

"Not at the moment." She stood and walked over to Kate, who was still sifting through the contents of the chest. "Anything?"

"Not really," said Kate. "I mean, it's all very interesting, and it just shows how tied up Arcadia is with the Prescotts over the years. I mean, the two are almost synonymous." She looked up at Chloe with wide eyes. "The Prescotts have their fingers in so many pies, Chloe. It's scary. From reading all this, I… I don't think Arcadia would be here today if it weren't for them." She shook her head. "I don't know how it will help right now, though. Have you found it?"

Chloe shook her head. "We found a trapdoor but we can't get inside. Well, not yet, anyway. David's still working on it, but it's locked from the other side." At the mention of her step-father's name, Kate smiled. "What is it?" asked Chloe, noticing.

"Nothing," said Kate, still smiling, "I just think it's great how you and uh, David are beginning to bond." She grinned. "I'm kind of waiting for the fight to break out. I want front row seats."

Chloe broke into a wide smile. "Yeah, it's… weird, isn't it? This time last week, I'd never have thought we'd be here now, actually acting as…"

"… a family?" Chloe looked at her for several moments, then nodded.

"Yeah. A family. But then, last week, Max wasn't… well, in my life."

"Did you think about her?"

"When?"

"When she was away."

Chloe thought about this for a while before answering. "Yeah, I did," she confessed, quietly. "I mean, I had Rachel, up until… she… she… you know, but somewhere down there, I always missed Max." She looked at Kate, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "It killed me that she never contacted me. I mean, we've talked about it and… but I can't forget what she did. A… and what I did."

"You didn't contact her either?"

"Yeah, something like that." Chloe wiped her eyes. "Kate, I have to find her. She's… she's my… my life, marshmallow. I can't…"

"We'll find her, Chloe," said Kate, putting her arm around her punk friend. "A lot has changed in the last few days. Things have moved so quickly that I've just decided to go with the flow, or I'll risk being left behind. Now we have David on the case, he's got your best interest at heart. And he knows exactly what your best interest is." She tightened her arm and cuddled Chloe close. "I know, too. And we'll find her. She's here, I'm sure of it, we just need to find a way into that studio."

"Yeah, I know," said Chloe, but she didn't sound convinced. "So, nothing in there which would help?"

"I don't think so. Just newspaper articles about the library they built, and the bomb shelters they set up, and a couple of…"

"Bomb shelters?"

"Yeah, it says how they took advantage of the bomb shelter boom to…"

"They built bomb shelters?"

"Yeah." Kate looked concerned. "Chloe?"

"There's a trapdoor over there that we can't get into. What if it's a…"

"… bomb shelter?"

"David!" Chloe bounded to her feet and ran over to her step-father, who was examining the back of the car. She breathlessly told him about the bomb shelter news and he slowly nodded.

"That would fit," he said. "But why would they build a shelter underneath an old barn? I know it's perfect for Mark Jefferson and his sick games, but it must have already been here. Why would they…"

"Why wouldn't they?" said Chloe. "They're so stuck up their own asses, they probably thought it would be cute to have their own bomb shelter out in the ass end of nowhere. Whatever happens then, they could ride out the storm in relative…" She stopped talking, her jaw dropping open as a light bulb went off in her head.

"Chloe?" Kate was watching her, as was David. "You okay?"

"What?" Chloe shook her head to clear it. "Sorry, I was just… I've had an idea. One of my infrequent flashes of brilliance."

"Which is?" asked Kate, but the punk just shook her head.

"Not the right time," she said, being deliberately vague. "But… don't let me forget this, okay? Just, remind me about bomb shelters." She turned to David. "Found a way in?" He shook his head. "Shit!" she said. "We can't let this defeat us. Max could be just below us. So fucking close, and… _fuck_!" She stamped on the boards, jumping up and down several times in frustration.

"Chloe!" David pulled her off the boards. "Be careful!"

"Why?" She roughly pulled her arm out of his grasp. "We need to get down there, and we need to do it quickly!"

"I know," he said, grabbing her arm again, "but we still need to be careful, right?"

"David, let me _go_!" hissed Chloe, but she couldn't pull her arm out this way. She raised her arm to him, but to her surprise, she was pulled into a tight hug, which shocked her so much that her rage instantly vanished and she found herself melting into his arms. "David?"

"I can't lose you, Chloe," he said, tearing up slightly. "I want to find Max almost as much as you do, but not at the expense of losing you too." They stayed like that for a moment, before a gasp from Kate re-focussed their attention. Turning, they sprang apart as they saw Nathan Prescott standing by Jefferson's car, gun held out in front of him, pointing at each of them in turn. He was sweating, muttering something unintelligible to himself. "Nathan," he said, acknowledging the situation as he quickly summed up their surroundings. The three of them together were a risk, a single target, and Nathan was the other side of the car. Not easy to get to.

" _Shut up!_ " he screamed. "Just _shut up!_ "

"Put the gun down, Nathan," said David, motioning for Chloe and Kate to stay apart, rather than bunching together. Chloe got the idea immediately and began inching sideways, but Kate remained frozen to the spot. Noticing this, David began edging away from her, keeping his eyes firmly on the young man with the gun.

"Stay where you are," commanded Nathan, swinging the gun from David to Chloe and back again. He'd seemed to dismiss Kate as a threat completely, which was fine by David.

"Come on, son," said David, "there's no need for this, is there?" He motioned to the gun. "Put that down, and let's talk about this, yeah?" His voice was calm, and inwardly, Chloe was impressed at his outward lack of emotion, but she knew him well enough to see that he was distressed. The constant flicking of his right index finger against his thumb was a dead giveaway. What she hadn't realised was that concern for _her_ wellbeing was what was causing the distress. He took a step forward, but Nathan jabbed forward with the gun.

"Don't come any closer," he warned, continually muttering something under his breath. "I'll do it. I'll shoot you."

"I believe you, Nathan," said David, extending his arms. "Look, none of us wants this. I don't want it, my step-daughter and her friend don't want it, and I don't believe you want it, either. So, why don't we just talk about this for a moment?" Nathan's arm dropped slightly, and David took this a sign to continue. "We know what's happening underneath this barn, Nathan. We know Mark Jefferson is down there right now, and we know he has Maxine Caulfield and Victoria Chase."

Nathan whipped his head to the side, muttering. "How do they know? How could they… you said they wouldn't be…"

"How we know isn't important, Nathan. The fact that we _do_ know _is_ important." He looked at Nathan, standing there with his arm wobbling, still suddenly shifting aim from David to Chloe and back in great, sweeping but nervous gestures. "Come on, son, it's over." He reached out, palm up, towards the young man. "Give me the gun, and let's talk about this like adults, yeah?"

"Don't tell me what to do! _Nobody_ gets to do that!" yelled Nathan, jabbing forward with the gun.

"Calm down, son," said David, still trying to inject as much neutral calm into his voice as he could. He was talking deliberately slowly, trying not to exacerbate the situation. His combat training had kicked in, and he was totally focussed on Nathan and the gun. "You must know it's over. What are you going to achieve by shooting one of us?"

"Nathan…"

"Chloe, stay out of this," warned David, holding his left hand out to her. "This is between me and Mr Prescott here. Nathan, we both know you're not going to achieve anything here, so why not just put the gun down and we can talk about this? I know you've done things you're not proud of, so have I, to be honest with you, but I don't think you were totally to blame. I think that you've been misled by Mark Jefferson, haven't you? I think he's forced you to do a lot of things you didn't want to do. Am I right in that, Nathan?" The young man wavered, looking away and muttering constantly, but the gun stayed up.

"I didn't want to hurt anyone," he muttered. "I _never want to hurt them_!" he screamed. "He made me, he made me, he made me hurt, he made me hurt…"

"I know he did," soothed David. While he talked, trying to persuade Nathan, Chloe couldn't help but listen to his voice. She did find it very soothing; this was a side to her step-father she'd never encountered before. And, although she was loathe to admit it, it was a side she wouldn't mind seeing more often. "If you put that down, we can talk about how you hurt, and perhaps look at how to make it better. How does that sound?"

"Nathan, please…"

"Chloe," warned David, once more, not looking at her, but keeping his gaze firmly fixed on the young man in front of him. He took a step to his left, away from his step-daughter and another, then another.

"Don't move!" screamed Nathan.

"Son, come on," said David. "You can't stand like that all day, can you? How about you take a seat?" He dropped his voice, conspiratorially. "Look, we don't have to say anything to anyone about this, yeah? We only want to get Max and Victoria back, and put Jefferson in jail for what he's done. He's sick, Nathan, surely you can see that. He's been using you. I'm sure that, with your help and… your reputation, if you help us get Mark Jefferson, I'm sure they'll go easy on you. You can get the help you need then, start afresh, do things properly. How does that sound?"

"And what if I don't, huh?" jeered the young man. "I'm not going to jail, nuh-uh, no way, sister." His head began to violently twitch. "I know what they do to you in there; I won't get help. I'll keep hearing… she talks to me all the… no, I'm trying to talk to them now," he said, turning his head to one side. "Let me do this," he whispered, his lips continually moving like a badly dubbed foreign film. David took a step closer to Nathan, which seemed to focus the young man. He stood up straighter, his glazed over with rage and he pointed the gun, unwavering now at David. "You want to help me, do you?"

"I do, Nathan. I know you've done things that… are wrong, but I know that you were manipulated. I don't want you to throw your life away completely. Come on, son…"

" _Don't call me that!_ " he screamed. " _I'm not your son, I'm not anyone's son!_ "

David held both hands up in front of him. "Okay, Nathan, that was a poor choice of words, I'm sorry. But I still want to help you."

"Has she told you what she did to me?" Nathan indicated Chloe. "Has she told you? I bet she hasn't." He turned to the side. "You think? No, she wouldn't say anything about it. No, you _said_ she wouldn't!"

"That she tried to blackmail you?" David nodded. "Yes, she told me about that today. She apologised to me because she never thought she'd get the opportunity to apologise to you in person. But you're here now, so perhaps…" He glanced across at Chloe, who just looked at him. He tried to convey his request with his eyes, imperceptibly nodding and re-focussing his eyes back at Nathan, but she just continued to stare at him. Eventually, she nodded her head in acquiescence.

"Nathan," she began, hesitantly, "I'm sorry for the way I acted and spoke to you on Monday. It was wrong. You'd hurt me and I tried to capitalise on that." She bit her lip. "Look, I'm willing to let what you did to me go, if you help us. Let me get Max and Victoria back, and put Jeffershit where he…"

"What did you call him?" Nathan's voice was dangerously low, and Chloe mentally kicked herself.

"Uh, Jefferson…"

"No, you didn't, you called him, uh, Jeffershit, didn't you?" He swung the gun across to point at Chloe. "How do you feel now? You weren't so hot when I pulled this out on Monday, were you? You came in all confident and assured, arrogant as fuck, expecting me to roll over like a good little rich kid. Well, _I didn't_ , did I? That vanished fast, and if it wasn't for the fire alarm…" He glanced off to his left again. "No," he muttered, "that wasn't my… I can't do that, I don't…" For a moment, his gun wavered and then dropped to his side. Chloe saw an opportunity and took it.

From Kate's perspective, the next few moments passed by in slow motion. Chloe launched herself at Nathan as he dropped his arm. Kate could watch her travelling in mid-air as she reached out for the young man. David whipped his head around and his hand out, his voice slowed down like in a bad action movie, shouting "Noooo!" as Nathan's hand straightened back up, the gun pointing directly at Chloe. Instantly, David launched himself, not at Nathan but at his step-daughter just as the gun went off.

Looking back on things afterwards, Kate would swear that time slowed almost to a crawl; that she could see the bullet as it exited the gun barrel, the movement of air around the bullet warped and twisted. As it shot through the air, David hit his step-daughter hard, pushing her to the floor, where she hit her arm hard on the ground, but now out of the way of the bullet. She could only watch in horror as the bullet ploughed through her step-father as he also crashed to the ground.

Time suddenly sped back up and Kate looked on, open-mouthed as Chloe turned her head, tears in her eyes, to look at her…

" _Dad!_ "


	31. 30 The Scooby Gang Part 3

" _Dad!_ "

Chloe scrambled across to her step-father, who was laid out on the floor, face contorted in pain. As she reached him, she heard a metallic _clang_ as the gun dropped out of Nathan's hands and hit the floor. Her facial expression turned slowly from concern to rage as her head also turned slowly to face the young man, who was looking on in horror at what had just happened.

"I'm…" was all he managed to get out before Chloe yelled in rage and leaped straight at him, arm swinging. Blinded by rage, and more by luck than judgement, her clenched fist connected perfectly with Nathan's jaw and he dropped like a sack of spuds, hitting the floor with a dull thud. Chloe immediately began punching him repeatedly in the face, either not aware or not caring that he was already unconscious. Finally, a brave Kate stepped in and put her hand on Chloe's shoulder, causing the punk to turn and snarl at her. As soon as she did, however, she realised what she'd done, her rage dissipated and tears began pouring down her face.

"I'm sorry, Kate," she cried, as the young Christian girl put her arms around Chloe and pulled her off Nathan, who was laid out, bloodied and unconscious, on the floor.

"Chloe, listen to me," said Kate, very matter-of-fact, "and listen carefully. Find something to tie Nathan up, and get that gun away from him."

"What?"

"Listen to me!" repeated Kate, shaking Chloe's shoulders. "Come on, Chloe, _snap out of it!_ We don't have much time. Deal with Nathan. Find something to tie him up and get that gun away from him. I'll see to Mr Madsen."

"Dad!" Chloe's voice was tortured and desperate, and she couldn't focus on Kate.

"I know first aid. Let me deal with him, okay?" Kate shook Chloe again. "Come on, Chloe, I need you to focus. Can you do that?"

Slowly, reality returned to Chloe and she gasped as she remembered the events of the previous few minutes. It took Kate to repeat everything again before Chloe was able to move. She nodded and began looking around for a cord or wire, but not before she'd slipped Nathan's gun into her jacket. Meanwhile, Kate had run across to David, who was flat on the floor next to the large car. She dropped to her knees and began to talk, again very matter-of-fact and focussed.

"Mr Madsen? Can you hear me?" At the sound of her voice, David opened his eyes. His breathing was haggard and his eyes bloodshot, but he was alive.

"Kate?" His voice was weak.

"Yes, I'm here. How are you feeling, sir?"

"Don't… call me sir… Kate." David seemed to have trouble speaking. "I've… been better."

Kate smiled gently. "I can see that, um, David. I meant, where does it… oh, I can see." As she was speaking, Kate began to examine David. She was immediately able to see that the bullet wound was located in his left leg, high up near his groin area. It was bleeding profusely, but as far as she could see, the bullet hadn't clipped the main artery. Offering up a quick prayer of thanks, she set to work.

Kate Marsh loved to volunteer her services to others. From a young age, she loved to help people; those in her family, her church, especially her two sisters. Her father used to joke that she had a terrible affliction of being totally unable to say 'no' to people. Well, until her mother pointed out the possible implications of that issue when young men began noticing her feminine charms. Once she was old enough, she began to involve herself in the various church activities, mostly for the youngsters, like joining the singing group, the play group and the bible studies which she loved, hearing about all the wonderful stories of old.

As she grew older, she began to spend more and more time volunteering to help others in the community. By the time she was 16, she was a regular and much-loved member of the local meals-on-wheels centre, something she immediately transferred to upon moving to Blackwell, becoming an instant hit with the local residents for her natural beauty, charm and generous heart. She wouldn't just deliver the meals, but prepare them, sit with her clients (friends, she referred to them as) and chat over a cup of tea. She'd quickly found a local church to join while at Blackwell, and had already begun to make herself useful there, attending the group sessions and also taking control over one of the bible study sessions for the youngsters, something she loved doing, especially with her talent for art. She'd prepare boards full of neat illustrations of the bible stories and sit on the floor with the children sat around her, telling the stories, putting on the different voices and turning the session into something magical, something the church elders were so grateful for, and beginning to rely on her; at least, they were until the video went viral. They'd contacted her two days previous, telling her that the heating in the church had failed, so the church would be completely closed for the next week or two, and for her not to trouble herself coming in. She's seen through the lie immediately, her heart dropping, but she'd done her best to get over it.

One of the bonuses for taking over the youngsters' bible groups was the first aid course that Kate had been sent on. It had taken place over a weekend in Portland, where she was able to meet with lots of other people from the churches in the wider area, all looking to learn about first aid. Coupled with an overnight stay at a local hotel, she thoroughly enjoyed herself, meeting lovely new people, learning new things…

This was the first opportunity she'd had to put her training into practise, and, though she was nervous, she also knew that David was depending on her and was absolutely positive she wouldn't let him down. She smiled apologetically at him. "Sorry, David, this is going to be a little… awkward. The wound is very near your groin, but I have to, um, get a tourniquet in place to slow the bleeding." She blushed red at this, but David just nodded.

"Do… what you… have… to do," he whispered. "But do it… quickly."

She nodded and unbuckled his trousers, taking care to peel the fabric away from the wound. She kept talking to David, reassuring him (or possibly herself), and trying to keep her mind off the area she was actually working in. She quickly removed the belt from his trousers and wrapped it around David's leg, right up by the groin, above the wound. She tightened it as tight as she could, apologising when his leg suddenly moved, causing a groan of pain from the man, but within a couple of minutes, the tourniquet was in place. Her next job was to whip her phone out and dial…

"Shit, no signal," she cursed, then blushed hard, realising what she'd just said. She quickly offered up a prayer, apologising for her language. "Chloe, your phone?" Chloe didn't argue, just threw her phone across to Kate, who was thankful to see 2 bars of signal. Immediately, she dialled 911, thinking hard about what she'd say.

After her conversation with Max, when her friend had revealed that going to police wouldn't be the best idea, due to their being on the Prescott payroll, she knew, deep down, that the girl was right. Mentioning the name Prescott was a sure-fire way to a cover-up. But this was different. Nathan had shot David Madsen in front of witnesses, and she knew that whatever she said next (or didn't say) would be vitally important. She also knew (from watching the television) that 911 calls were always recorded, and could be used in evidence.

"Nine-one-one, what is your emergency?" The call was answered immediately by a female operator. Her voice was smooth and friendly, if a little weary.

"Hi, my friend's step-father has just been shot by Nathan Prescott," said Kate, deliberately talking slowly, to ensure her words could not be misinterpreted.

"Gunshot wound?"

"That's correct. My name is Kate Marsh. I'm here with my friend Chloe Price and her step-father, David Madsen. He's head of security at Blackwell Academy."

"Where are you located, miss?"

"We're at a barn, I'm not exactly sure of the address, but it's out in the countryside near Arcadia Bay. It's the barn owned by the Prescott family. Wait…" said Kate, as Chloe roughly shoved a piece of paper into her hands. "Oh, thanks, Chloe. I have here the GPS coordinates of the barn," she said, reading out the numbers on the paper. "Please, we need an ambulance quickly. Mr Madsen's not dead, but his leg is bleeding. I've administered first aid, he has a tourniquet strapped in place and he's comfortable, but he needs urgent medical attention."

"I see. And the gunman?"

"He's unconscious and tied up."

"Are you in any danger, miss?"

"I don't know," said Kate, truthfully. "Not from Nathan, he can't hurt us. But I believe that two girls are being held hostage underneath the barn by a teacher from school, Mark Jefferson."

"Did you say… a teacher is holding you hostage?"

"No, ma'am, Chloe and I are okay, but there are two other girls being held by the teacher below this barn.

"Thank you, miss. The ambulance and police are on their way. You can expect them in around ten minutes, I believe."

"Thank you, ma'am," said Kate, hanging up. "Done," she said to Chloe. "Thanks for the coordinates, I'd forgotten we had those."

"I heard what you said," said Chloe, grinning seriously. "Those fuckers can't get out of it now! Nice one, Kate. Well done." She clapped her friend on her back and Kate blushed from the praise.

"Thanks, Chloe." She turned. "I'm going to take care of David here while we wait for the police."

"Nathan's not going anywhere," said Chloe. She'd found a length of cable near an old tractor and trussed him up, legs together, hands behind him, and then trussed him to the tractor. She was right. He wasn't going anywhere. She walked over to her step-father and her eyes misted over at the sight of him. She bent down near his head and cradled him, stroking his head gently.

"Chloe…" he said, weakly.

"Don't talk," she whispered, "conserve your strength."

"Kate's done a good job," he said. "She… she helped."

"You saved me," said Chloe, tearing up.

"You called me… Dad." At this, Chloe thought back, and a smile crossed her face.

"I did, didn't I?" She wiped her eyes. "Don't die, Davi… dad, not now."

"I think I'm going… to be okay, Chloe," he said, cupping her face with his hand. "I heard what Kate said on the phone." He grinned, then groaned in pain. "That is going to cause a shitstorm downtown. Maybe it's exactly what this town needs." He groaned again. "Wish I could be there to see it."

"Dad…"

"Chloe?"

"Thank you," said Chloe, starting to cry. Instinctively, David put his arm out and Chloe moved into it, needing the comfort and warmth of his embrace. He let her cry for a moment, before he spoke.

"Chloe, you… and Joyce are my… priorities. I'll do… anything I have to do… to ensure your safety. Anything, you… understand?"

"But fuck, you took a bullet for me."

David grinned. "Bet you didn't… argh… expect that." He'd started laughing, which just exacerbated the pain. "See, I can… surprise you." He smiled at his step-daughter. "And you're… not getting rid of me… that easily. I intend to be… your friend. I don't want to replace… William, I can't be him, Chloe."

"William was a great father," said Chloe, through her tears. "But I think there may be room for one more. A friend would be good, but I know now that need more than that. I need… guidance." She smiled. "Shit, I need lots of guidance. Just look at me."

"You've… done yourself proud, Chloe," he said. "A few mistakes… sure, but Max has…" He looked at Chloe, his eyes focussing. "Chloe," he said, his voice a lot stronger. "Go get your girlfriend."

"What?"

"You heard me. Kate will stay here with me while we wait for the ambulance. You've got Nathan's gun, right?" Chloe nodded. "Then go get her. We can't wait any longer, you'll get backup soon, but I think Max would appreciate your being there. If you wait too long, the police won't allow you to go anywhere near her."

"Dad…"

"Go, Chloe. Nathan will have the key to the lock, no doubt. Use it." Chloe nodded and made to get up, but David pulled her back. "Listen to me, Chloe. Don't be afraid to use the gun, but only as a last resort. Don't blaze in there shooting, okay? And aim for the body, not the head. It's bigger, and you're less likely to kill. Please, don't kill him."

"Why not? He deserves it…"

"Maybe, but I don't want you to be a killer, Chloe. Please, I've… I've killed in combat. The first time, a little piece of you will die. I can't let you go through that, okay?" Chloe began to cry again, so touched by his words.

"You really do care, don't you?"

"Of course I do. I always did, I just never knew how to tell you. Well, that, and you wouldn't have listened." He smiled. "Go now. Go get Max." He pushed her away. "Kate, we need more pressure on this," he said, as Chloe rose and searched Nathan for the key. She quickly found it and unlocked the trapdoor, opening it to reveal a very clean set of stairs leading down to a large electronic door with a keypad. In stark contrast to the old barn above, this was clean, well-maintained and recently painted.

She approached the keypad, looking closely at it. "Shit," she muttered. "I've no idea of the fucking password." She looked closer, and smiled grimly when she saw that three of the keys: 2, 4 and 5 were worn and used, in total contrast to the other keys, which looked totally brand-new.

"Okay, so you're a three-digit passcode consisting of two, four and five," she muttered. "Three digits? Pretty fucking cheap for a kidnap lair!" She knew there were only six possible combinations of the three digits, so she drew a deep breath and began entering. 245 didn't work, neither did 254. She continued trying, then, at the final combination of 542, the light turned green and the door began to open.

Drawing her gun and remembering David's advice, she cautiously stepped through the giant door as it continued to rumble open into a different world.

It was a bomb shelter. That much was obvious. And it was a well-stocked one at that. Cans of food lined the walls as she walked into the first area. She could see a curtain pulled on the furthest left, probably leading into the next room, perhaps the room that contained Max.

 _Max? Are you here?_

Approaching the curtain cautiously, she could hear raised voices coming from the other side.

"You say Nathan's your friend?" It was Jefferson, she recognised the voice. He didn't sound his usual calm self. "Well, let's see if he chooses to save your life. Do you think he'll choose you over me?"

 _Save your life? Max?_

Her face set into one of stone as she took the safety off the gun and curled her finger around the trigger. Jefferson spoke again. "Let's find out, shall we?"

Counting to three, Chloe pulled the curtain aside and rounded the corner. She took in the sight in front of her in a flash, her mind whirring as she processed the studio, the camera equipment, the computer, the metal cabinets on the wall, Max tied to a chair with lights pointing at her, Victoria whimpering on a sofa in front of Max, with Jefferson standing over the blonde girl, a gun pointed at her head. All three of them were looking at her with surprise as she took a step forward into the room, bringing her gun up to bear on the teacher.

"This is for David, you fucker!" she hissed, as her finger tightened on the trigger.


	32. 31 Standoff

"This is for David, you fucker!" hissed Chloe, her finger tightening on the trigger.

"Ms Price," acknowledged Jefferson, raising his eyebrow but still keeping his gun firmly pointed at Victoria while raising an eyebrow, "I must confess to being… surprised at your presence here." His voice was calm, and actually sounded a little amused.

"Shut up, you _freak_!" she hissed, then turned her attention to her girlfriend while keeping her gaze firmly on the teacher. "Max, you okay?"

"I've been better," called Max, smiling, "but yeah. I'm okay. How did…"

"I'm sure you two can catch up later," said Jefferson, "when Ms Price joins you, but for now, Maxine, I would _suggest_ that you are quiet." He kept his gun pointed at Victoria, who was quietly whimpering on the sofa. "What do you want, Ms Price? I'm assuming this isn't a social call."

"You, you sick fuck!" she hissed. "I want you."

"I'm… flattered," smiled Jefferson, his eyes twinkling, "but I'm afraid I'm not interested in you. In _any_ shape or form." He looked her up and down with a critical eye. "I'm afraid you're just not particularly… interesting. Although those tattoos could be… no, you're just not good enough. There's a definite lack of innocence there." He shook his head. "Used, damaged goods. Nothing for me there."

"Like I said. Sick fuck," repeated Chloe, motioning with her head. "Get the fuck away from her. Now."

"Or what? You'll shoot me?" He laughed. "I don't think so."

"Oh? You don't believe me?"

Jefferson smiled at Chloe. "No, I don't. Because there's no way you'd be quick enough to stop me shooting Ms Chase."

"So shoot her. Like I care about her," spat Chloe, and Victoria whimpered again. "She's bullied Max and Kate, she's hurt people I care about. Why would I care about her? She's just a bully and a bitch." Victoria whimpered again. "World would be a better place without her, if you ask me."

"I'm… not sure I believe you," said Jefferson. "I _do_ know what Ms Chase is capable of, certainly I've been aware of her behaviour towards Ms Marsh and Maxine here. But… I think you're… bluffing. Yes, that's more likely than not." He paused, thinking quickly. "Still, there's a chance you're not, so, Ms Chase. Kindly get up, would you?" When Victoria didn't move, he prodded her with the gun. "That wasn't a request. _Get up!_ " Victoria struggled to sit upright, while Jefferson backed away, keeping his gun firmly on her. Chloe took two steps forward, but stopped when Jefferson shook his head. "Stay where you are, Ms Price," he said, backing away until he was behind Max, at which point he transferred his aim from Victoria to Max. "Bluff over, Ms Price," he said. "Now, put down the gun."

"Fuck you," spat Chloe. "You're a fucking coward, hiding behind Max, like she's some sort of a sick human shield."

"Coward? No," said Jefferson. "I'd say intelligent. See, I'm just protecting my investment. You're not a marksman. You won't shoot me for fear of hitting your precious friend here."

"Shut up!" hissed the punk. "You don't know anything about me, you know nothing, you sick fucking _monster!_ "

"No?" With his free hand, the teacher pointed to the gun Chloe was holding. "I know nothing, do I? Let's see. Well, for a start, you're holding the gun all wrong. It's like you've been watching too many of those terrible movies." He shook his head. "Nobody who knows how to shoot holds a gun like that." He barked a short laugh. "You probably couldn't hit the broadside of a barn unless you were aiming at the sky."

"Fuck you!" yelled Chloe, but she was stopped by Max.

"Chloe, calm down!" she called.

"You'd better listen to your little friend," said Jefferson, prodding the gun into Max's temple. She flinched, but couldn't move away. Her eyes flashed with fire as she stared intently at her girlfriend.

"He's trying to get you worked up. Don't let him!" said Max, urgently, and she saw Chloe nod, almost imperceptibly.

"Put the gun down, Ms Price," said Jefferson.

"Fuck you!"

"Do it," he repeated, jabbing his own gun at Max. "Or she'll…" He let his sentence hang at the end and Chloe became visibly concerned.

"You wouldn't dare," she said. "She's your bargaining chip. You can't hurt her." She motioned to him. "It's over, Jeffershit," she said, laughing. "Your little suck fucking game is over. The police are on their way here right now, and soon, there'll be nowhere to go." The teacher's eyes narrowed as he heard this, and Chloe pressed on. "So why don't you put the gun down and maybe you can get out of here in one piece." She smiled. "Although I doubt you'll stay that way for long, considering where you'll be going…" She let that one hang in the air as well, and smiled inwardly at Jefferson's sudden discomfort, but he recovered himself quickly.

"The police? You're bluffing. I called your bluff once, I can do it again," he said, but Chloe simply shrugged.

"Fine by me. I'm not bluffing, but go ahead. Try me. All we have to do is wait here for a few more minutes, then they'll be here." A thought struck her. "Do you think _they'll_ be reasonable? Do you think _they're_ not trained marksmen? Perhaps they'll let you walk out of here unscathed. Scott-free, as they say. Maybe we're all living in fucking cloud-cuckoo land." She barked a laugh. "Your choice, fucknuts. Who knows, maybe we'll get a chance to apologise to your headstone later on, although I doubt we'll waste our time." She nodded. "So why don't _you_ put the gun down, and maybe you'll get a chance to see fresh air again." Below Jefferson, Max smiled encouragingly, a smile that Chloe returned, albeit internally, so Jefferson wouldn't see. She was quickly learning that keeping a lid on her emotions, just like David did with Nathan, wasn't easy, but it was absolutely essential.

"We appear to be at an impasse," said Jefferson. "You won't drop your gun, although it could result in Max getting hurt, and I certainly won't relinquish mine. Stalemate."

"You'd think so, wouldn't you?" said Chloe. "But I'm sorry, but it's not a stalemate. I'm actually trying to help you."

"Help me?" scoffed Jefferson. "I don't think so. Don't lie to me, Chloe Price. I know you, I know all about you."

"Bullshit!" spat Chloe, but she suddenly didn't seem so sure of herself.

"David Madsen know you, doesn't he?" said Jefferson smiling, and Max looked at Chloe with unspoken concern written all over her face. "He knows you quite well, it seems. And he likes to talk." He laughed. "Boy, can he talk! And about you, most of the time. He comes into the staff room every day for his morning coffee, complaining about the behaviour of his step-daughter. Drugs, police, petty crime, breaking and entering, the constant arguments and disrespect you show him. Oh, believe me, Chloe _Elizabeth_ Price, everyone in the staffroom knows more than enough about you. And all of it bad, I should add." Jefferson noticed Chloe's expression and pressed home his advantage. "I certainly wouldn't want a delinquent like you for a step-daughter. Really, every time David talks about you, I just end up wondering how he ever puts up with you."

"Shut it," warned Chloe. She could see Max trying desperately to convey unspoken words of support, but she was finding it increasingly difficult to block out what the teacher was saying.

"The truth hurts, doesn't it, Ms Price," taunted Jefferson. "See, he comes in every morning, moaning and complaining about the latest exploits of his delinquent step-daughter. I'm surprised he hasn't totally disowned you by now."

"I said _shut up!_ " hissed Chloe, trying and failing to bleed away the tension she felt in her head, like it was pressing in on her, getting tighter and tighter. She could see less of the room around her now, focussing only on the teacher. Even Max was becoming blurred.

"Maybe it's just because he likes getting some from his waitress wife." The teacher shook his head, continuing to taunt. "I don't know what he sees in her, to be honest. I went to that awful diner once, you know. Never again. Dirty, old, going for that totally plastic retro feel that some people seem to find attractive, food was awful." He looked across and smiled. "Maybe that's why you turned out like you did, if that meal was anything like the norm in your household."

"You _fucking_ …" Chloe was rendered speechless as she took a step forward and levelled the gun at Jefferson's head.

"Chloe, no!" called Max, and received a hard prod to the face from Jefferson's gun. She gasped in pain, only serving to enrage Chloe further and she took another step forward, her face contorting as she screwed up her eyes.

"Leave her alone!" she hissed.

"Stay where you are, Price," hissed Jefferson, but Chloe just looked at him and screamed in rage, pointing the gun straight up and pulling the trigger.

The gun report, in such a small enclosed area, was unbelievably loud. A small puff of smoke exited the gun barrel and the noise echoed around the Dark Room as the bullet ricocheted off the ceiling. There was a single scream from Victoria but silence from Max, although she did flinch as the gun went off.

"Chloe!" shouted Max. "Chloe, no!" She received a slap across her face for her interjection, but she ignored it and carried on. "Chloe, he's trying to rile you up. Don't let him!" she called, urgently, receiving another slap across her face. However, the words seemed to get through to the blue-haired punk, and she levelled the gun back at Jefferson, who was smiling.

"You get that one for free," she said, very quietly and very deliberately, and then, remembering, directed her voice down to her right. "You, hanging in there, Chase?" She received nothing but a quiet whimper in response, but it was enough to let Chloe know she was still there. "Good. Stay strong, okay?" She turned her attention back to the teacher using her girlfriend as a human shield and narrowed her eyes. "As I said, you get that one for free." She smiled wryly. "The next one, however, well, let's not worry about that, shall we?" She nodded to him. "Nice try, Jeffershit."

" _What did you call me?_ " hissed the teacher.

"You mean… Jeffershit?" Chloe grinned. "I thought it suited you. Quite appropriate really. Jeffershit." She smiled impishly. "Jeffershit, Jeffershit," she sang, "kidnaps girls, click click click!" She laughed. "Just made that up. Seems to work, doesn't it?"

"Don't call me that again," he warned, "you need to respect your…"

"Respect? Don't make me laugh," barked the punk. "Respect is earned. And boy, you ain't earning it." She glanced down at her watch. "Time's a-tickin', Jeffershit. Police will be here soon." It seemed that Jefferson finally began to believe her, as his expression subtly shifted and he jabbed the gun painfully into Max's forehead, causing her to gasp in pain.

"Back up," he said to Chloe, then again, when she didn't move. "Ms Price, I told you to back up."

"No."

"Don't push me," he said, narrowing his eyes. "I've been quite reasonable so far."

"Reasonable? You've kidnapped two girls and are holding them at gunpoint. That's your idea of reasonable?"

He didn't answer, instead producing a knife and slicing through the leather strap holding Max's head still. She gasped as the knife sliced through close to the side of her head… too close, as it turned out, and a small line of red appeared on the side of her forehead as the knife nicked her skin. He then, while keeping the gun jabbed painfully into the side of her head, sliced through the straps holding her hands. On his instruction, she reached down and undid the leg straps, stretching her legs out for the first time in what seemed like forever, grimacing in pain as both legs clicked several times. She then stood up and Jefferson moved in behind her, keeping his gun firmly trained on the back of her head.

"I'd suggest not doing anything you'd regret," he said to Chloe. "You wouldn't want my finger to get twitchy now, would you?" He nodded at Max, and Chloe's expression darkened, if that was at all possible.

"You hurt her…" she warned.

"Empty threats," he laughed. "Now move out of the way."

"What are…"

"I'm leaving," he said. "You can have Ms Chase."

"If you think…"

"Ms Price, look around you," he said. "What sort of a choice do you think you have? You don't want me to have to hurt Maxine, now, do you? Now move."

"No."

"What?"

Chloe stood her ground. "You heard me," she hissed. "I'm not moving. Come any closer, and you're just making yourself a larger target."

"I'm warning you…"

"Oh yeah? If you were going to shoot me, you'd have done it already. You're just a coward, full of false promises, empty threats and bullshit." She shrugged. "I'm not going anywhere, Jeffershit." She narrowed one eye and aimed the gun. "Your move, fucknuts," she said, planting her feet firmly on the floor. The teacher regarded her for a moment, then shrugged himself.

"Fine," he said. "I gave you a chance." He raised his gun and drew a breath, but before he could speak, Max interrupted.

"Chloe!" she called. "Aim a little lower, you missed last time!"

Chloe stopped breathing at the words, wondering if they were true. She subtly changed her aim a little lower, but not too low as to put Max in danger. Jefferson, however, was completely floored.

"How the…" he said, frowning and looking down at her in confusion, involuntarily moving the gun away from her head as he did so. "You can't possibly…" Chloe noticed the gun moving away and tightened her finger on the trigger. She felt a lot of reluctance on the part of her finger to actually pull the trigger, thinking of the danger that Max was in, but then she noticed Jefferson recovering his composure and bring his gun back up. She knew it was her only chance, and she took it.

Time slowed down around her as her finger pulled the trigger. The report of the gun was probably just as loud as the last time, but she heard nothing except a muffled pop as the bullet ignited and shot from the barrel. Time sped up again and Jefferson dropped like a stone, his own gun firing as he involuntarily pulled the trigger. Chloe ran across to him and kicked the gun out of his hands as he lay on the floor, groaning and holding his shoulder.

"You fucking…" he managed to get out before Chloe kicked him in the head, knocking him unconscious and silencing him. She went back to Max, who was rubbing the back of her head in pain and wrapped her arms around her.

"Max," she whispered, tears coming to her eyes.

"You came for me," Max whispered back.

"Of course. You're mine, Maximus Prime," murmured Chloe. Max said nothing, just tightened the embrace, but then stood back, gasping in horror.

"Max?" Chloe asked, noticing the change in her friend. She let her go to see horror plastered all over her face. Looking around her shoulder, her face dropped as she saw the object of Max's horror: the girl lying on the sofa with a patch of blood growing larger every second as her life leaked out of her body. She whimpered weakly.

"Victoria!"

Chloe dropped to her knees next to the blonde girl, untying her hands and feet and ripping her jacket off. "No, no, no…" She could see that Victoria had been hit in the stomach, the blood was pouring out and turning her floral blouse a deep crimson. "Shit, it's bad, Max," she said, stroking Victoria's hair. "Hold on, Chase, you're not fucking dying on me. It's not allowed."

"Chloe," said Victoria, weakly, "I'm… sorry I couldn't…"

"Don't speak," murmured Chloe, tears beginning to pour down her face. She turned her head around to see Max similarly crying. "Max? You need to…" She shook her head.

"Chloe?"

Chloe turned back to the dying girl. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry, Chloe," whispered Victoria, her breathing becoming ragged. "I'm eighteen, I've… never known true… love, all I've achieved is… to be a bitch to you… Kate and… Max." She began to cough violently, blood appearing in her mouth. "I'm so sorry." Chloe didn't think, she just wrapped her arms around Victoria, crying silently.

"I'm sorry too, Victoria," she said, quietly, so Max couldn't hear. "I'm sorry I couldn't… this is my fault."

"No… you… I never even told Kate I…"

"If I hadn't… I'm sorry, Victoria. Please… forgive me. I…" She stopped talking as she realised that Victoria had become still. Her stomach dropped as she looked down to see the lifeless girl, blood still leaking out of her stomach, and she began to sob in earnest. "Max, she's… oh god, Max, please help me, she can't… I can't be…"


	33. 32 If at first you don't succeed

Even though Max was half-expecting it, the sound of the gun firing sent shockwaves through her body. She felt Jefferson crumple behind her, and she swore she felt the bullet graze her left ear, or maybe it was just the airflow. There was a second shot and she was suddenly free of Jefferson's grip; the gun which was so painfully pressed into the back of her skull was gone.

Adrenaline was quickly replaced by waves of relief as Chloe ran past her. She heard Jefferson groaning on the floor. He managed to say a couple of words before Chloe silenced him. Then she felt the wonderful, warm comfort of a pair of strong, tattooed arms wrapping around her and she began to melt into them.

"Max," whispered her girlfriend. That one word said so much. Max could hear all the under- and over-tones in the whisper, the harmonics floating high above the word, carrying all the pent-up emotions of a teenager, and she hugged Chloe back, tears coming swiftly to her eyes.

"You came for me," Max managed to choke out between silent sobs, and Chloe tightened the embrace.

"Of course," she murmured. "You're mine, Maximus Prime." Max choked back a giggle and held on to her girlfriend for dear life, but then heard a quiet, choked whimper from in front of them. She looked down, the blood ran cold in her veins and she let out a horrified gasp. "Max?" asked Chloe, but Max couldn't speak, her words stuck in her throat. Chloe let her go and turned to see what Max was looking at, her face also twisting into a mask of horror as she saw Victoria on the sofa, hands tied together but trying uselessly to cover her stomach as blood poured out of the fatal wound.

"Victoria!"

Chloe immediately dropped to her knees next to the blonde girl, untying her hands and feet and ripping her jacket off. "No, no, no…" She could see that Victoria had been hit in the stomach, the blood was pouring out and turning her floral blouse a deep crimson. "Shit, it's bad, Max," she said, stroking Victoria's hair. "Hold on, Chase, you're not fucking dying on me. It's not allowed."

Max couldn't help the tears now, they were pouring down her cheeks almost as fast as the life was leaking out of the blonde girl.

 _Max, you could help her._

 _No! I can't! I promised I wouldn't use it again!_

 _Max, help her. Please. You know you can help her._

"Chloe," said Victoria, weakly, "I'm… sorry I couldn't…"

"Don't speak," murmured Chloe, tears beginning to pour down her face. She turned her head around to see Max similarly crying. "Max? You need to…" She shook her head, but then felt Victoria's hand on her arm. The girl was using all her remaining strength.

 _Come on, Max, step up. She needs you._

 _I can't. God, please, don't ask me to. Look what happened last time. I screwed everything up!_

"Chloe?"

Chloe turned back to the dying girl. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry, Chloe," whispered Victoria, her breathing becoming ragged. "I'm eighteen, I've… never known true… love, all I've achieved is… to be a bitch to you… Kate and… Max." She began to cough violently, blood appearing in her mouth. "I'm so sorry." Chloe didn't think, she just wrapped her arms around Victoria, crying silently.

"I'm sorry too, Victoria," she said, quietly, so Max couldn't hear. "I'm sorry I couldn't… this is my fault."

"No… you… I never even told Kate I…"

"If I hadn't… I'm sorry, Victoria. Please… forgive me. I…" She stopped talking as she realised that Victoria had become still. Her stomach dropped as she looked down to see the lifeless girl, blood still leaking out of her stomach, and she began to sob in earnest. "Max, she's… oh god, Max, please help me, she can't… I can't be…" Chloe broke down completely, cradling Victoria's body in her arms, rocking her back and forth as heaving sobs wracked her body. "Max, please…" Her voice was pathetic, full of grief and desperation.

 _Now that's something I would never have expected to see. Chloe Price crying over Victoria Chase._

Max immediately put the rogue thought to the back of her head, but the voice was still there, niggling away.

 _Max…_

 _You know what you have to do…_

"Chloe, I… I can't…"

"Max, you have to, she doesn't deserve this…"

"Chloe, we talked about this! I screwed things up so much last week, I can't do that again."

"So you'd let her die?"

Max looked downcast and away. "Chloe, that's not fair," she said.

"No, it _fucking isn't_ fair!" Chloe stood up, her face streaked with tears, her arms and clothes soaked with Victoria's blood. "Look at her!" she roared, pointing down at the dead body. "You could save her, you know you could."

"But Chloe, I can't risk screwing…"

" _Fuck that_ , Max." Chloe stamped her foot on the floor, then looked down, unable to hide a sneaky smile as she calmed down a little. "Look, I know I'm the last person on earth who I thought would defend Bitchtoria, but you know this is the right thing to do." She began to cry again. "Please, Max. Before it's too late."

"But the storm…"

"… is still coming, even though you haven't used your powers. See? You changed nothing by not using them. And I'm pretty sure that whoever's up there, having a _fucking_ good laugh at our expense, wouldn't begrudge you this."

"Chloe, I…"

"Don't worry about the storm. I've had an idea about that," said Chloe. "You just concentrate on the here and now and leave the storm to me." She opened her arms and Max gratefully accepted them.

"But how would it work? You wouldn't know anything, you'd still shoot Jefferson and…"

"Wait a mo," said Chloe, as a thought struck her. "Did we do this already?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, earlier, you told me to aim lower, as I'd missed once."

"Oh, that! No," said Max, "I was just trying to distract him. I'd… I'd told him about my powers when he had me drugged. I thought he was you… But I knew he didn't believe me, so I figured I'd play on it."

"So, you just have to do it for real."

"I don't know if I even can," said Max, beginning to cry again. "I promised myself, I promised _you_ that I'd never use them again. I couldn't afford to lose you."

"You won't, Max," said Chloe, reaching up and stroking the back of Max's head. "But you know this has to be done. We can't let her… we have to change this." In her arms, Max nodded.

"Okay," she whispered. "For you, I'll do anything."

"Thanks, babe," said Chloe, "but this isn't for me. Remember, you have other friends as well, and they need your help sometimes just as much as I do."

"I don't even know if I can…"

"I know you'll do your best, Max." She leant out of the embrace and kissed Max deeply. "Get us out of this mess, Max," she murmured. "Like you did last week." She took a deep breath. "I believe in you." They kissed once more before Chloe took a step back, trying to not look at Victoria's body. Max looked at her and they both nodded as she raised her right hand.

Even though it had been less than 3 days since she'd last used her time-travel, it seemed like a lifetime ago. Her heart began beating wildly as she raised her hand. She didn't realise she'd been holding her breath until she let it all out in a slow, controlled exhale as the familiar rushing returned around her. She watched Chloe bend down to resurrect Victoria, then the scene played out in reverse at high speed, until…

 _Wait. I'm here now, not over there. That gives Chloe a far bigger…_

Everything came back to her in a flash, and she stood stock still until just before the shooting started, lowering her hand. As the world stopped reversing and swung back into motion, a little like a vinyl record suddenly slowing and speeding up, she yelled. "Chloe! Shoot him!"

She knew that from their perspective, she would have flickered and moved position. Neither had ever seen the powers being used before, and both were momentarily confused. Chloe did a double-take, looking across at Max with raised eyebrows. Jefferson was similarly confused, but, to his credit, he recovered first. He looked across at Max, just as Chloe did, but then his brain took over and he brought his gun to bear once more. As Max looked on in horror, he pulled the trigger, sending a bullet right through Chloe. As she collapsed on the floor, Max forced herself not to rewind straight away while she took stock of the situation, and the positions of the players. Victoria was on the sofa still, Chloe standing (well, not standing now) to the sofa's left, facing Jefferson, who was to the right of the chair.

"So. You _can_ do something," said Jefferson, swinging the gun around towards Max. "Don't even…" but Max was too quick for him, rewinding again through half-blinding tears, watching Chloe get up off the ground for what seemed to be the hundredth time.

Even though she knew she'd have to watch the same scene play out in front of her, and watch Chloe get shot once more, it wasn't easier the second time around. Instead, this time she concentrated on positioning herself exactly where she needed to be: behind Jefferson and slightly to his right. As Jefferson shot Chloe again, she darted around behind him. He was quick, following her as she ran, pulling the trigger twice more, although both bullets missed their mark, but he wasn't quick enough to prevent her from rewinding once again.

This time, she was ready. As she returned the world to normal, she yelled "Chloe! Get down!" Her head felt fuzzy and she felt a warm trickle on her upper lip, but she ignored it and pressed on. Her girlfriend was only too happy to oblige, dropping to the floor as Jefferson fired, the bullet harmlessly pinging the wall behind her and ricocheting away. Jefferson blinked, looking around.

"How did you…" he managed, before Max launched herself at him, fists swinging. Normally, she'd have been no match for him, but she had the element of surprise, and, as he was turning, he was off-balance. She barrelled into him and knocked him off his feet. He fell heavily, the gun flying from his hand and his head hitting the ground. Unconscious, he lay there and Max punched him twice in the face, yelling as she did so. Chloe picked herself up off the floor and grabbed Max, lifting her off the teacher.

"Hey, Maximus," she said, "he's down." She pulled Max into a tight embrace. "He's not worth the effort." Max melted into her girlfriend's embrace, laying her right cheek on Chloe's chest.

"You came for me," she said, basking in Chloe's warmth and comfort.

"Always, Max," murmured Chloe. "You're mine. I'm not letting you… what?" she asked in confusion as Max pulled out of the embrace and rushed over to the sofa.

"Victoria? Are you…" said Max, her face falling and her stomach dropping as she saw that Victoria was, most definitely, not okay. "Oh, Tori," she sighed as the blonde girl coughed up blood. "Hang on, Victoria. I'll fix this. Chloe?" She turned back to the punk. "I need your help, and quickly."

"Whatever you need, Max," said Chloe.

"Go stand there." Max pointed to where Chloe had been standing. "Now, we've done this four times already, and it's not getting any easier. I'm not sure how many more times we can do this."

"Max, calm down," said Chloe. "Tell me what's going on."

"I'm stuck. I've tried it both way. If Jefferson fires at you and you're not there, Victoria gets hit. If you _are_ there, you're not quick enough to avoid it. What do I do?"

"Can't you warn me?"

"I _do_ , Chloe, but you're just not quick enough," complained Max. "We need to figure out something and fast. I have, maybe two rewinds left in me and so far, you've died twice and Tori's died twice."

"But you said you weren't going…"

"I know, Chloe, but you persuaded me, okay? We don't have time for an existential debate right now, you just have to trust me on this. Please!" Max knew she was sounding desperate, but her head was pounding.

"Okay, Max," said Chloe, nodding and taking her girlfriend's hand in hers. "Of course I trust you. We'll work it out. Um," she thought, "can you rewind a little further back?" Max shook her head.

"No, it seems that's the limit. Just before the shooting starts."

"So, if I move, Victoria gets shot. If I don't, _I_ get shot."

"Basically," said Max, nodding her head. "It's one or the other."

"Shit, it's like some fucking video game. Isn't there a third option?"

"I don't know," said Max. "I mean, you can't ask me to choose who lives and who dies, that's not fair! I haven't come this far to just fucking start this fucking game again, choosing to let people die!" She began to cry and Chloe quickly closed the distance between them, sweeping her girlfriend up in her arms.

"Hey, Maxi-pad, don't cry, baby, we'll sort this out. We've come too far," she whispered gently, placing small kisses on Max's forehead, who tried, unsuccessfully to suppress a short giggle.

"I hate it when you call me that," she sniffed.

"Don't care. It got a giggle," said Chloe, stepping away. "Now, come on, we need to think quickly. Can you be near Victoria, so I can duck and you can move her?"

Max shook her head. "I need to be by Jeffershit to knock him down," she said. Chloe looked at her for a moment.

"What if…"

"What is it?" asked Max. Chloe had that look on her face, as if she was chuntering things around her brain. She waved at Max to ask for a few more moments, then looked at her.

"You can rewind twice more, right?"

"I think so. That last one really hurt, though, I don't want to push it."

"Okay. So, what if you rewound to just after you take him down, can you then move Victoria out of the way?"

Max thought and shook her head. "No time, the bullet will have already…" She stopped mid-sentence, her eyes focussing on something far away.

"You've got an idea, haven't you?" said Chloe, smiling.

"I do," answered Max. "But it's all down to your reflexes, I'm afraid."

Chloe stepped forward and embraced Max once more, kissing her forehead. "I'll try not to let you down, baby."

"I know you won't," Max whispered, closing her eyes. Then she pulled away. "Time to assume the position." She moved over to the spot just behind Jefferson and lifted her right hand.

…

"Fine," said Jefferson, raising his gun. "I gave you a chance." His eyes narrowed and he drew a short breath.

"Chloe!" yelled Max, her head pounding, her vision blurred and with blood trickling from her nose. "Down! Dive to your right! Hit the sofa!" Without waiting to see if her warning was heeded, she launched herself at Jefferson, swinging her fist. As before, he'd fired the gun and was turning to see Max when she hit him. Off balance, he hit the ground hard, his head hitting the floor with a sickening _thunk_. He was immediately knocked unconscious and Max, remembering what she did last time, picked herself up off him and rushed to Chloe, who was busy untangling herself.

It looked like she'd thrown herself to her right straight at the sofa and hit it hard. Max picked her up and gave her a quick hug, but when Chloe leaned in for a kiss, she shook her head. "Go see to Jeffershit," she said. "Get his gun and see if we can't tie him up." Then she looked over to Victoria, who was still whimpering, and breathed a sigh of relief. "You okay, Victoria?" she asked, kneeling down and untying her hands and feet. The blonde girl nodded, tears streaming down her face and sat up, rubbing her wrists and ankles. There was a hole in the sofa not far away from her, but it looked like the bullet had passed harmlessly by. Max breathed an enormous sigh of relief, put a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder and headed over to where Chloe was busy tying Jefferson's hands behind him with a length of flex she'd found, trying to ignore her pounding head. Max retrieved the flex that was used on Victoria and busied herself on securing his ankles together as well. He was well and truly knocked out, a colourful bump was beginning to form on his right temple where his head had hit the ground. Oddly enough, Max felt no sympathy for him.

"Thanks," said Max, quietly, and Chloe looked across at her.

"You're thanking me? What for?"

"Many things," she said. "Coming to find me. Rescuing me. Diving into that sofa." She looked up. "You did that without question."

"Yeah well, I noticed you flickered out of position, so I figured I'd do whatever you said," said Chloe. "I trust you, remember?" She grunted as Max threw her arms around her and quickly returned the embrace.

"You said that… just before I rewound," said Max, letting go and bending down again. "Thanks."

"You're welcome, baby," said Chloe, smiling. "So, what was that about, anyway?"

"Chloe, it was terrible," said Max. "I had to make a choice. I had to let either you or Victoria die." She finished tying Jefferson's ankles together. "You helped me to find a third option." Chloe grinned.

"One is glad to be of service," she said, wryly, and Max broke out laughing, all the tension and stress of the previous few hours bleeding out of her. They embraced and kissed deeply, before an embarrassed cough broke them apart.

"Uh, guys," said Victoria. "Get a room?" She grinned weakly and squeaked when Max barrelled over to her and wrapped her in a crushing hug, followed quickly by Chloe. "Can't… breathe," she wheezed, and they broke apart.

"Tori, I'm so glad you're okay," said Max, and Victoria smiled weakly.

"You… want to tell me what happened?"

"Later," said Max. "The police'll be here soon." She frowned, looking around. "You here on your own, Chloe? Where's Kate?"

"She's… upstairs," said Chloe, her voice beginning to waver. "She's upstairs taking care of David."

"David? You said something earlier about David." Max's face dropped. "Is he…"

"No, he's fine. Nathan shot him, but he's okay. We're just waiting for the ambulance."

"Nathan…" Victoria slumped back onto the sofa. "God, Chloe, I'm so sorry." She let out a long breath. "He's…"

"He needs help. And the police will be there soon. Kate called it in."

"His father will…"

"… not be able to protect him this time. He shot Blackwell's Head of Security in front of two witnesses. He'll be going… where he needs to go." Chloe stood up. "Come on, let's get out of here. Y'all ready to leave?"

Victoria nodded weakly and Max did likewise. They both looked rather nervous, but Chloe offered Max her hand, intertwining her fingers with her girlfriend, and offering her other arm to Victoria, which the blonde girl gratefully accepted. Head held high, she then led the two of them out of the Dark Room to the world above.


	34. 33 Interviews

"Gunshot wound, coming through!" The words echoed in Chloe's mind like a stuck record, going around and around…

"Chloe?" Max's voice brought Chloe back to reality, causing her to flinch slightly. This brought a small giggle from her girlfriend. "Miles away?"

"What?" Chloe looked around, trying to get her bearings. She was in a room with Max and Kate… in the hospital, yes, that was it. They'd been there overnight while the doctors had worked, stabilising David's wound. They'd told her he was out of immediate danger, but would have to stay in hospital for a while to regain his strength, among other things. They also had to ensure the wound would remain uninfected. Her mother had stayed by his side all night, although the four girls weren't allowed in to see him until the police had spoken to them. Victoria was currently off in another room being interviewed; both Max and Kate had already been interviewed, she knew she was next. They'd spent a long time talking to Max; in fact they'd tried to separate her and Max, to prevent, what did they call it? Oh yes, 'contamination', they called it, but as soon as they'd tried, Max burst out sobbing, crying for Chloe until they agreed the two could stay together. Kate was spoken to after Max, and now it was Victoria's turn. "Oh, yes, I mean, I was," she said, nodding. "I was just thinking about…"

The room they were in; been _sequestered in_ was a small consultation room. There was a table and four chairs, and not a great deal else, although the coffee machine wasn't far away, and they'd been supplied with plenty of coffee that morning, probably a little too much for four 18-year-old girls, but that was neither here nor there. The walls were painted in a mundane magnolia, slightly faded now and the single lightbulb swung aimlessly above the central table.

"Earth to Chloe?" Even Kate was giggling now. Chloe sighed.

"Yeah, I'm here," she said. "I was just… contemplating shit." This caused Max to burst into another fit of giggles. Chloe raised her eyebrows and Max waved her arms, trying to contain herself.

"No," she said, still giggling, "it just reminded me of something Alyssa said last week." The past couple of hours had been very much like this. Short giggles interspersing longer period of silence or tense conversation. Chloe smiled and held her hand out to Max, who gratefully accepted. Kate smiled at the two of them, as she had been doing every time they publicly displayed affection towards each other. After the trials of the previous day, just something as simple as holding hands was welcome and comforting.

Silence returned to the consultation room for a good quarter of an hour, each teenager locked in their own version of the last day or so, until Kate drew a breath, which focussed the attention of the other two.

"Max," she began, very hesitantly, but then stopped, biting her bottom lip.

"What is it, Kate?" said Max, leaning forward. "Don't be afraid to ask me anything, okay?"

Kate nodded. "I was just going to… I was… I just wondered," she said, "how did you find the strength to get through it all? I mean," she continued, "I've been there, where you were." Her head dropped. "They showed me the photographs they found in my folder. They were… I mean, I don't remember them, I don't remember being there. It was like looking at someone else. I guess… I guess I feel lucky that I don't remember it. But you do. How can you cope with it?"

"Yes, I do remember it," said Max, "and really, if you think about it, I've been through it twice now." Chloe reached out again and grasped Max's hand, their fingers intertwining. "But I can honestly say that there was only one thing that got me through, one thing that kept me grounded." She smiled, albeit a little weakly at the memory.

"What was that?" asked Kate. In response, Max closed her eyes and began to whisper.

"One Chloe-Price, two Chloe-Price, three Chloe-Price, four Chloe-Price," she whispered, and Chloe's eyes immediately began to tear up. "I would repeat that over and over again, keeping your face in the forefront of my mind," she continued, looking at her girlfriend. "I guess it was a kind of compartmentalisation technique. Something to keep hope alive."

"Did it work?" asked Chloe, in between tears. In answer, Max simply nodded, and Chloe gripped her hand tighter.

"We're here now, aren't we?" she murmured. "Of course it worked."

They sat in silence for ten more minutes until the door opened. They looked up to see Victoria being led into the room by a policeman, who looked at the girls and focussed his attention on Chloe. "You're next, Price," he said, gruffly but not unkindly, and Chloe nodded.

"I won't be long," she said to Max, then rose and followed the policeman outside. There was a moment of silence inside the room, then Kate asked the first question.

"How was it?"

"Not too bad, I guess," said Victoria. "I don't know whether it was because I was a Chase, or a… a victim…"

"It's okay, Tori," said Kate, putting her hand on Victoria's arm. "You _are_ a victim. It's nothing to be ashamed of. _I'm_ a victim. So is Chloe, so is Max, and so was Rachel. It's just something else we have in common, that brings us together."

"I don't think they were as hard on me as they could have been, you know?" said Victoria, and both Max and Kate nodded.

"Celebrity status?" said Max, with a little smirk on her face.

"I wish they wouldn't," said Victoria. "I just want to be normal now. I don't want to be anyone special."

"You're special to me," said Kate, blushing a little. "I… I mean… you're one of my best friends."

"Thanks Kate," smiled Victoria. "I'm still… trying to get used to that, you know, the fact that you're my friends, not because you want things from me, like money or power, or because you're afraid of me, but because you want to be my friend. That's… new. It'll take some getting used to."

"Take all the time you need, Tori," said Max. "We're not going anywhere." She smiled for a moment, then her face became suddenly serious. "How are you holding up?" Victoria looked at her for a moment before sighing deeply.

"Not good, Max." She shook her head, tearing up again. "Not good, if I'm honest, and it seems that being honest is happening more and more often at the moment." She smiled through her tears. "Thanks to you. And Kate." She paused, as if in thought. "Chloe too," she said, then looked around. "I wonder how she's getting on?"

…

"So, how are you feeling?" said the policeman, sitting on a chair opposite Chloe. He'd introduced himself as Officer Daniels, although introductions weren't really necessary, and he was quite tall, clean-shaven apart from the beginnings of a small moustache, and light brown hair cut short. He knew Chloe, and she knew him.

Chloe grinned. "Not too bad, Ben." She took a sip from the cup of coffee that had been placed in front of her. "Haven't seen you in a while." Daniels smiled back.

"Yeah, they've got me doing mornings and afternoons now," he smirked. "Not exactly your time of day, is it?"

"Yeah yeah," groaned Chloe, good-naturedly. "I'll have you know I'm a changed person now. My… girlfriend has been a particularly positive influence on me."

"Girlfriend?" Ben raised an eyebrow. "You mean you're…" He paused, then looked back at her. "Which one?"

"Max. Short, brunette."

"I know the one." He whistled. "Nice, Chloe, very nice. You happy?" She just smiled in response, and Ben nodded. "Good for you." He pulled his pen out of his pocket and his expression reverted to a more serious one. "Okay, let's get down to, what was it you used to say? Bidness?" He looked Chloe directly in the eyes. "The sooner we get this awful business sorted, the sooner you can get back to… Max, did you say?" She nodded. "Yeah, Max. And David. How is he, by the way?"

"They won't let me see him until I've talked to you, but they say he's out of any danger."

"Good, Chloe, good." He clicked the pen a couple of times. "Right. Well, I'm here to take you through what happened yesterday, your part in the events, and also what you saw. Okay?" Chloe nodded. "I'll be asking you some questions, and noting down your answers. You're not under caution, so you can leave at any time, but please, I'd be grateful if you stayed and answered everything truthfully. Agreed?"

"Is any of this off the record?" asked Chloe. Ben thought for a moment, then nodded.

"If you want to clarify something, I can keep it off the record," he said. "I'd rather know than not. But make sure to let me know. Okay then. Ready?"

"Yeah. Let's do this. I've been away from Max for too long already," she said.

"Well, let's start with the events in the barn. Can you tell me what led to David's injury?"

"Nathan Prescott shot him."

Daniels just looked at Chloe. "Come on, Chloe, I need more than that," he said, smiling.

Chloe smiled in response. "We'd gone to the barn, believing that Max and Victoria were there. We believed that Jefferson had taken them. When we arrived, we found…"

"Sorry, Chloe. Who's 'we'?"

"Oh, uh, myself, Kate Marsh and step-d… David. When we got there, we found a trapdoor in the barn, and Jeffershit's car parked inside. We couldn't open the trapdoor, so we…"

"Sorry to interrupt again, Chloe, but why go there? Why not just ring us?"

"Are you serious?" scoffed Chloe. "Ring you without any proof? This is the Prescott's barn, involving Nathan Prescott. You and I both know that ringing you would just be asking you to go and remove anything incriminating. You think I don't know that Prescott owns the police? Nathan openly says as much all the time!" To his credit, Daniels did look sheepish at that point, so Chloe decided not to press the point. "So, we were there. And when we couldn't open the trapdoor, Nathan snuck up on us and pulled his gun out. David tried to talk him down, but it didn't work." Chloe looked downcast. "I got impatient, I tried to jump him, I shouldn't have, I know, but he just wound me up. I thought I could… but I wasn't quick enough. David jumped in front of me. He was…" She banged the table. "It should have been me, dammit! He took that bullet for me!"

"It's okay, Chloe," said Ben. "What happened next?"

"Kate… Kate was brilliant. I hit Nathan, I think, she tended to David while I tied Nathan up. I took his gun away from him, Kate called it in to you guys, and David told me to go get Max."

"You took his gun?"

"Yeah. I didn't want him to get any funny ideas."

"Did you give the gun to your step-father at this point?"

Chloe shook her head. "He'd been shot. He actually told me to go find Max. He told me to take the gun with me; we didn't know what would be down there." She looked down." He made me promise I wouldn't shoot anyone, except as a last resort, and only then to wound, not to kill."

"Pretty good advice, to be honest," said Ben. "So you opened the trapdoor?"

"Yeah. Nathan had a key. Inside, I found a bomb shelter decked out like a photo studio. I mean, there was thousands of dollars of professional-looking shit there, man. And I saw Max. She was tied to a chair, and Jeffershit was holding a gun on Victoria. I tried to talk him down, like I'd seen David do with Nathan, but that didn't work. He just wound me up. But we got lucky. He was going to escape; I'd told him that you guys were on their way, so he untied Max. He went to shoot me, but Max warned me and I managed to dive out of the way, then Max tackled him to the ground. His head hit the floor and he was knocked unconscious, so I tied him up. I kept my promise, Ben. I didn't shoot."

"Quite a story, Chloe," said Ben, smiling, taking notes. "Thing is, I don't quite get how you knew that Jefferson had Max, and where he was."

"Where he was? We deduced that from evidence that David had collected," said Chloe. She'd already decided not to bring Frank's logbook into the equation. "He'd been following Nathan, and others around, suspecting a drug ring at Blackwell. See, Nathan tried to drug me a month back, but I escaped, so I knew what he was capable of…"

"He… he what?"

Chloe nodded sadly and recounted the story, making sure that the parts involving blackmail were strictly off the record. "So that's how I knew he was involved, and when Kate told me and Max her story, we knew then that Nathan had drugged her, just like he had me, except this time she hadn't been able to escape and he'd taken her to Jefferson. We looked through David's notes and used his co-ordinates to follow his car through the night of the party. When we found he'd stopped for a good while in the countryside somewhere, we looked and found that barn. And then we found that the Prescotts owned the barn and the land… well, it was a slam-dunk, as you say."

"But how did you know…"

"Jeffershit had Max? To be absolutely honest with you, we weren't entirely sure, but Max had been wary of him for a few days. Ever since she found out what happened to Kate, and Rachel, a… and me, she'd been very suspicious of him and Nathan. And when she went missing, well, we didn't know for sure, but we suspected it was him. And we were right."

"Right, okay," said Ben, taking notes. "Well, that brings us nicely to Rachel Amber."

"I don't want to talk about her," said Chloe, her breathing quickening. "She was my friend, she disappeared, and we know that Nathan Prescott killed her and buried her somewhere in the junkyard. I don't know any more than that."

…

"Kate, would you mind grabbing us some more coffee?" asked Max. "I'm sorry to ask, but…"

"Of course," said Kate, brightly. "I'll just go and get it." She'd been quiet, as she had been since the party, but there were the odd flashes of the old Kate Marsh beginning to return, a fact that warmed Max's heart. She rose and left Max alone with Victoria. Immediately, the blonde girl turned to Max.

"What was that about?"

"What do you mean?"

"Don't waste time, Maxine," said Victoria. "You wanted to talk to me without Kate hearing. You'd better be quick. I've never seen anyone get coffee as quickly as she does."

Max nodded. "I forget how smart you are, sorry Tori." She smiled weakly. "Look, I just… I need you to promise me something."

"That depends on what it is."

"Chloe must never find out that Nathan buried Rachel alive." Max's tone was totally insistent. "I mean, never, okay? It would… it would destroy her, Tori. Rachel was her best friend when I… when I abandoned her. She always thought Rachel had abandoned her, too, but she'd beginning to come to terms with the fact she's dead, but knowing that… it would kill her, Tori. Please. Promise me you'll never tell anyone. Ever."

Victoria nodded immediately. "I wasn't going to say anything, so yeah, I'll promise you that."

"Thanks, Tori," said Max, sighing in relief as the door opened and Kate walked in with fresh coffee for all. She set them on the table.

"I didn't know whether to bring Chloe any or not," she said, "I mean, we don't know how long she's likely to be in there, so I didn't. I hope that's okay."

"It's fine, Kate," said Victoria, grinning. "Chloe'll just have to get her own, won't she?"

…

"I'm sorry, Chloe, I know she was your friend… she was a friend to others as well," said Daniels, then, after taking a breath, "me too."

"Are you saying…" Chloe looked straight at the policeman with concern.

"No, nothing like that," said Ben, smiling and holding up his hand, "but after I brought her in on possession, we started talking. She was a… good person, Chloe. She didn't deserve to…"

"No, she didn't. Nobody did. Nob… nobody does," said Chloe, wiping her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Chloe for making you go through that again," said Ben, closing his notebook, "but it was necessary, yeah? We want to ensure that bastard gets exactly what he deserves." He stood up. "We'll probably need to talk to you again at some point, but for…" He stopped as the door opened and another policeman walked in.

"Officer Daniels," said the other man, taking control of the room at once, "you're needed outside. I'll take over from here."

"I'm sorry, but…"

" _Now_ , Daniels," said the policeman, more forcefully. "I said, you're needed outside. I will take over in here." Daniels looked apologetically at Chloe, shrugged and left the room. The other policeman, not as tall as Daniels but a little more heavyset, sat down opposite Chloe, after making a point to lock the door, and took out his notebook, placing it on top of a large manilla folder. Chloe looked at him with suspicion. She'd met him once before. "Miss Price," he said, "pleased to make your acquaintance. Let's go through things again. From the top." His expression was neutral, but there was something about his attitude that riled Chloe up straight away.

"I'm sorry," she said. "You are?"

"I'm Lieutenant Gray," he said. "We've met before, haven't we, Chloe Elizabeth Price?"


	35. 34 Spin

"Yeah, we've met," said Chloe, standing up. "We're done here."

"I don't think so," said Gray, smiling. "Sit down, Chloe. May I call you Chloe?"

"No," she said. "May I call you fuckface? Daniels said I could leave at any time. Well, I'm leaving."

"Daniels isn't here, Chloe," said Gray, still smiling. "You can't leave, I'm afraid. Not until I'm done with you. Sit down, please, I won't ask again."

"Bullshit! You can't keep me here."

" _Sit down!_ " shouted Gray, and Chloe was so shocked she did so without realising. "Now," he continued, lowering his voice, "we are going to go through your story piece by piece, you understand?"

"You can't do this to me," said Chloe, tears brimming in her eyes, "this isn't right."

"I'll tell you what isn't right," said Gray. "Lying. That isn't right." He opened his pack and pulled out a manilla folder with Chloe's name on the top. "Although, before we get down to brass tacks, I'd like to take a look through this folder, if that's alright with you." He grinned. "It makes interesting reading." He began flicking through the pages, smiling and chuckling as he did so. "You have a… colourful past, Chloe, don't you think? Here… breaking and entering, vandalism, possession of marijuana, more possession, yet more possession… you really like possessing, don't you?" He grinned. "But lookee here, we also have citations for speeding, a stack of unpaid parking tickets and… wait a moment, what's this?" He held up a report triumphantly and Chloe's heart sank. She knew exactly what was in it. "Lewd behaviour, exposing yourself in a public place. Tch tch tch," he tutted, reading on, "you really shouldn't know how to do _that_ at your age. And to another girl, as well? And how old were you… how old was _she_? You know, I had to look quite deep to find this, it was… reasonably well suppressed. I wonder if your current girlfriend knows about your past behaviour? I wonder if your family knows about it?"

"Shut up, you freak!" spat Chloe, but Gray was only getting started. He went back to the beginning of the file and read out each citation, each report in excruciating detail, leaving the most damning one (which was really unlucky, as it was at night, on a secluded part of the beach, with Rachel, and there was nobody around, or so they thought until the policeman showed up) until last. Once he'd finished narrating the final report, Chloe was in tears, and Gray was looking as though he was the cat that had found the proverbial milk. "The fuck is your point?" she hissed.

"Nothing really," he said. "I was just enjoying a good read. Thought I'd share it with you." He smiled. "My mother always told me to share things I enjoy. So that's what I'm doing." He tapped the final report. "This one, in particular, is thoroughly enjoyable. Exposing yourself. Lewd conduct." He leaned forward and grinned. "Now there's something I'd like to see."

"Fuck you, Gray."

"Maybe we can arrange a… reconstruction of the crime, as it were. You know, for purely scientific purposes," he leered.

"In your dreams!" she spat, but Gray merely chuckled.

"You certainly will be," he said, grinning. He put down the folder and pull his notebook towards him. "Okay. Let's take it from the top, shall we?"

…

"She's really taking a long time," said Max, taking a sip of coffee. "I would have thought they wouldn't have taken this long. Ow!" The coffee was too hot and Max quickly put the cup down, holding her hand over her mouth.

"Hot?"

Max nodded, blowing on the cup. "A bit." She waved her hand in front of her mouth. "Burnt my tongue."

"And no Chloe to kiss it better," said Victoria, chuckling mischievously. In answer, Max just glared at her in faux-anger.

"Whatever," she said. "It _is_ taking a long time, though. I mean, Daniels just went through things with me. He seemed nice, you know. He didn't want to put me through any more stress, so we just went through things slowly, taking a break now and then, and he took notes. I'll probably have to go back in a few days, but it wasn't stressful. Or that long. You?"

Victoria shook her head. "Wasn't difficult. As I said earlier, I don't know if I was getting special treatment or not…"

"I don't think so," said Kate. "My questioning was easy, too. Daniels seemed like a sweet person. He listened to me, and took me seriously. L… like you guys did." Victoria smiled at that remark, but Max doggedly stayed concerned.

"I still think it's taking too long," she said. "I'm… worried."

"Don't worry, Max," said Kate, putting her hand on Max's. "I'm sure everything will be…" She broke off as the door opened and a familiar policeman walked in. "Officer Daniels?"

He nodded at the girls. "Girls."

"Where's Chloe?" asked Max. "Aren't you finished with her?"

Daniels looked apologetic. "I'm sorry, Maxine… sorry, Max, but I'm no longer in control of the interrogation."

"What?"

"My superior officer is in there now with her. I… shouldn't really be here telling you this, but it's important you know exactly what you're dealing with now."

"Who's in with her?"

"Lieutenant Gray." At this name, Victoria's face fell.

"Tori?" Max looked doubly concerned now.

"I know that man. He… he's… connected to Sean Prescott."

…

"So, why did you trespass on private property, Chloe?" Gray had dispensed with the manilla folder now, and was concentrating on his notebook. From time to time he'd write a few words down, but Chloe noticed that his musings were mostly doodles. He also had a habit of chewing his pen, which really got on her nerves.

"Trespass?"

"Yeah. See, you set foot on private land, private land belonging to the Prescott family without their consent. That's trespassing. You entered their property without consent. That's breaking and entering. You damaged property belonging to Mr Prescott. That's criminal damage. You stole Mr Prescott's firearm. That's theft. You tied up Mr Prescott without his consent. That's kidnapping and abduction. You carried Mr Prescott's firearm on your person, without a valid licence. That's illegal possession of a firearm, and carrying a concealed weapon without a valid licence. You discharged the firearm at an unarmed person. That's attempted murder." He looked up. "Need I go on?"

"That's… total bullshit!" spat Chloe. "You're making it all up."

"Am I? You're in a _lot_ of trouble, Chloe," he said, shaking his head. "A lot of trouble. So, I'll ask again, and you'd better be straight with me. Why did you trespass?"

"We… I… you know why," said Chloe, finding it increasingly difficult to concentrate. "We were trying to find Max and Victoria, and we believed they were being held there."

"In a barn," said Gray, raising his eyebrows. "Really? And what evidence did you have? What _probable cause_? I mean, you can't just go trespassing on private property, you know. It's a criminal offence. And, with your record, you think you'll be believed. So, tell me about your evidence." He leaned forward for effect. "Now, Chloe," he said, sitting back down.

"You… you can't do this," said Chloe, her voice beginning to waver. "You can't keep me here."

"You want me to arrest you _again_ , Chloe? Is that what you want?" He leaned forward. "Your only hope, and I mean your _only_ hope is to cooperate with me. Not to mention if you want to see the outside of this room any time soon. So, I'll ask you again, and please believe me when I say I have no intention of asking again. What was your evidence?"

Chloe looked at him and sighed. It was obvious she was stuck, and she knew it. She shrugged. "My step-father, David Madsen, had been tailing Nathan Prescott, among others for a while. We knew that Nathan had drugged Kate Marsh, so we merely traced his movements on the night of the party. He told Kate he was driving her to the hospital, but we know she didn't go there. On checking his movements, we found he'd taken Kate and driven straight to this barn. It all seemed quite suspicious to us, so we decided to check it out."

"So David had been surveilling Nathan for weeks? That's… concerning."

"Don't see how," said Chloe, insolently, gathering up what courage she had left. "Nathan was pushing drugs on the students. Was an open secret there that if you wanted drugs, that's where you went. Although he could be… tricky to deal with." She looked Gray right in the eyes. "Oh yeah. And he fucking dosed me up as well last month."

"Ah yes," Gray said, "I was wondering if you'd bring that up. Tell me about it."

"I was in a bar, and…"

"You're eighteen, yes?"

"Nineteen, actually. So what?"

Gray held up his hands. "No reason, just checking. So, you were underage and in a bar. Carry on."

"Nathan spiked my drink with something. GHB, probably. I passed out and…"

"You had a drink? An alcoholic drink? Don't you know that's illegal?"

"Nathan drugged me! He fucking spiked my…"

"Did you see him put anything in your illegal drink?" asked Gray. Chloe looked at him incredulously for a moment.

"Are you not listening to me? I said…"

"Yes, I know what you said," said Gray. "You had an illegal drink, but you have no proof that Nathan put anything in it."

"I woke up in his dorm room!"

"So you spent the night with him. That's… not illegal, last time I checked. I can't see anything that could be classed as illegal. Apart from your actions, of course." He made a few notes.

"This is fucking _bullshit!_ " yelled Chloe, standing up. "I demand you let me out of here. Right now!"

"Sit down, Chloe," said Gray, bored. "You can't get out of here. What are you going to do? Assault a serving police officer? I'm afraid that would take you straight to jail. Do not pass go, do not collect your two hundred dollars. So just sit down and we'll carry on. Capische?" Chloe slumped down in her seat and just stared at the policeman.

"Fine," she said, defeated. "But this is fucking bullshit."

"So, we've established that you frequented a bar while underage, you spent the night with Nathan, probably regretted it afterwards, so made up a false allegation of assault. Got that now," he said, underlining the words 'false accusation' on his notebook several times, looking directly at Chloe as he did so. "We've also established that you trespassed on private property. So, let's talk about what happened on that private property, shall we?"

"I'll tell you what happened. That little prick shot my step-father, that's what happened." Chloe sighed and slumped back in her chair. "I saw it happen. There were witnesses."

"Mr Prescott isn't denying that he discharged his firearm, Chloe," said Gray, "although the circumstances of the event may be a little skewed. Why don't you tell me what you saw?"

"And you'll let me go?"

"Once we're finished, of course." He smiled. It was not a pleasant smile. "Tell me."

"Well, we were trying to find our way down to the Dark Room," she began, but Gray interrupted her straight away.

"Dark Room?"

"It's what Jeffershit called that creepy-ass photo studio."

"Oh, right. Go on."

"We couldn't get through the trapdoor, but while we were looking around, Nathan came in and pointed his gun at David. We all froze, and David tried to talk him down, but he wasn't having any of it. He was babbling like a crazy person, to himself, to us, to anyone who'd listen. Then he tried to shoot me, but David jumped in the way. He took a bullet for me. I could be, I could have…"

"He… tried… to… shoot… me," repeated Gray, writing the words down. "You sure about that?"

"What sort of stupid-ass question is that?" Chloe stood up. "I know what fucking happened, okay? No matter what sort of fucking gay spin you try and coat it with. He tried to fucking shoot me. He pointed the gun at me, and he, very deliberately pulled the trigger. If my step-father hadn't jumped in front of me at that point, I would now be dead, or in that hospital bed. He tried to murder me. Got it?"

Gray grimaced. "Sit down, Chloe," he said, motioning to the chair and taking a sip of his coffee. "You see, Mr Prescott recalls the events slightly differently."

"Oh, this should be good," said Chloe, sitting down and leaning back. "Pray, tell me your bullshit story."

"Mr Prescott recalls that he received a notification to his mobile phone that there was activity at some private property his family owns. He checked the footage – they have an IP camera set up in the barn, you see, and he saw three people that were not authorised to be there. He then, what was the word he used…" Gray flipped back a few pages on his notebook, "oh yes, _hot-tailed_ it to the property, where he found the three of you, having gained illegal access to the property, searching around and, for all he was aware, engaging in burglary and theft."

"Bullshit! We…"

"I listened to you, Chloe," said Gray. "It's only fair you listen to me, isn't it? You know, being polite and courteous? Now, where was I? Oh yes, you were thieving. He was carrying a firearm, which he is legally entitled to do, and he found three people trespassing and burglarising his family's property. It is perfectly reasonable to expect him to confront the three of you, holding guard over you with his firearm until the authorities arrived. Unfortunately, you pre-empted the authorities and attacked him, and he was forced to defend himself." Gray made a few notes. "On the face of it, seems an open-and-shut case of self-defence."

"Bullshit! He was babbling…"

"Yes, he did ask you to be still, something which you clearly did not adhere to." He snapped his notebook shut. "I don't think there's much more to be said about the matter. Mr Prescott is guilty of nothing more than defence of his family's property from three people with criminal intent."

" _What_?"

"I've heard enough, Chloe. I don't think your allegations have any merit whatsoever. It's clear to me that Mr Prescott was perfectly entitled to do what he did."

"You have _got_ to be fucking kidding," spat Chloe, standing up. "He tried to murder me. He _did_ murder Rachel Amber. He kidnapped Kate Marsh, Victoria Chase and myself, and…"

"I'm afraid there's no evidence supporting any of your allegations, Chloe," said Gray. "I'd think carefully about repeating them, as well. You know, slander is a serious crime. In fact, you're very lucky that I'm not arresting you right now."

"Oh? I'm lucky, am I? And why aren't you arresting me, you fucking bullshit corrupt cock-sucking freak?" Chloe was getting really riled up now. "Perhaps because you know you're so full of shit you can't afford to?"

"Don't push me, Chloe, I'm doing you a favour here," he warned, but Chloe wasn't listening.

"Yeah, right, a favour. Do me a favour and fuck off, okay? You can't come in here with your fucking corrupt bullshit and expect me to take this lying down! You're just Sean's fucking lapdog, you fucking freak. What, does he suck you off to get you to do this shit for him?"

"This is your final warning, Chloe," said Gray. "Don't forget I'm a serving police officer. Don't make me arrest you."

"On what charge? Huh?"

"I'll find something that'll stick," whispered Gray, suddenly scooting around the table and closing in on Chloe, thrusting his face close to hers and whispering with renewed ferocity. "I'll find something in storage, charge you with possession with intent to supply, and you'll be in the county jail getting fucked by the guards for the next twenty years. Do you want that, huh? Well do you?" Chloe didn't answer, shocked into silence. "Good. Then just _shut the fuck up_ , alright?" He walked off, muttering to himself. "Never knew when to shut the fuck up," he said, as he unlocked the door and left the room, leaving Chloe alone. Her knees suddenly felt like jelly and she was forced to sit down, her whole body trembling at the voracity of the assault she'd just endured. Tears began pouring silently down her cheeks as she put her face in her hands and wept.


	36. 35 Daniels

"Chloe!" Max rushed into the room where Chloe was sat, slumped over the table. Behind her, Victoria and Kate waited courteously outside, while Officer Daniels stood in the background, shuffling his feet on the floor.

From the moment his superior officer entered the room, Ben Daniels knew that Chloe was in for a hard time. Just how hard, he had no idea, but it was an open secret at the station house that Gray's loyalties lay not with the police force, but with a certain powerful family living in Arcadia. Oddly enough, even though he'd heard the rumours (and who hadn't?), nobody had ever approached him with an offer, something he was very, very thankful for.

…

"Good morning, uh, Miss, um, Price," said Daniels, opening his notebook as he sat down in front of the sullen teenager. She was dressed quite provocatively, ripped jeans, a baggy white t-shirt with a clear view of her black bra underneath. However, the most striking feature was her electric-blue hair, almost neon in its shade. It looked like it had only recently been dyed (or re-dyed) and it was difficult for the policeman to keep his eyes off it. He blinked twice and tried to concentrate on his notebook.

"'Sup?" she said, her voice as sullen and insolent as she looked. She wouldn't look him in the eyes, instead preferring to look down at her hands.

"My name is Officer Daniels," he said, extending his hand. It was ignored. He sighed and continued. "Look, let's dispense with the formal shit, shall we? I'm Ben. May I call you Chloe?"

"Aren't there supposed to be two of you? There's usually two of you."

Ben looked surprised, and smiled. "Usually, yes, but I arranged for just you and I to talk this time."

"What, you want to fuck me or something? Is that it? I suck your cock and you'll let me go? Well, fuck you, pig!"

"Whoa, there, Miss Price," said Ben, holding his hands up and in front of him, "where did that come from?" He continued, his voice soft and low. "Look, I'm not here for anything like that. I… I just want to talk to you, if that's okay with you. If not, that's fine, I'll invite my partner in here and we'll turn this into a formal interview. Your choice." He stopped talking and waited. After a moment's silence, the girl spoke again.

"You don't want me to suck your cock?" she said. Ben looked at her, aghast, but saw the smallest trace of a smirk appearing on her face.

"Um, no, thank you," he said. "But it was a kind offer."

"You don't know what you're missing," said the girl, grinning more openly now. She shrugged. "Fair enough. Your loss."

"May I call you Chloe? Please?"

"If you must," said Chloe, shuffling a little in her seat. "I don't know you, nor do I want to particularly, but you seem… different to the others. So just say what you gotta say and get me the fuck outta here, okay?"

"Actually, Chloe, I wanted you to talk to me, rather than the other way around," said Ben. "Can I get you a drink?"

"Vodka and orange?"

"Sorry, a bit too early for that," said Ben, smiling and checking his watch. "Actually, about four years too early, I think." He grinned. "But nice try."

"You don't ask…"

"… you don't get. Yeah, I've heard that one around," he said. "Tea? Squash?"

"Got any coffee?" she said.

"I'm sure we can rustle something up," he said, getting up and leaving the room. A minute later, he was back with two cups of coffee. "Here you go," he said, sliding one across to her. She looked at him for a moment, then motioned to the other cup.

"I'll have that one," she said. "Don't trust you."

"Fair enough," he said. "You've no reason to trust me, and I've no reason to expect that from you." He swapped the cups and took a sip from his coffee. "It's not brilliant," he said, apologising, "but it'll do until you get back to the Two Whales."

"The Two…" Chloe narrowed her eyes and looked at Daniels. "Have you been following me?" her tone was accusatory, and the policeman looked at her for a moment before shaking his head.

"Look, I'll level with you," he continued, sighing. "I've seen you in here a few times recently. Possession, mostly, like today, but a couple of B and E's and some criminal damage." He brought a manilla folder up onto the table. "That's your file, Chloe. It details everything you've done that's brought you to our attention." He tapped it. "It's far bigger than it should be for someone your age, isn't it? I requested your case, because I'm afraid your behaviour will start to escalate, and… look, I'll be honest with you, I'd hate to see you ruin your life."

"Yeah? Well, that's not your decision, is it?" shouted Chloe, standing up. "If I want to ruin my life, then that's _my_ choice!"

"Yes, it is," said Daniels, not rising to the bait. "It is _completely_ your choice, and I'm _not_ trying to tell you what to do. I think that would be exactly the wrong direction for me to take with you. I just, look, I've taken a look into your case, you're a reasonably intelligent young woman, and I'd hate to see you fail to reach your potential. Nothing more than that. Whatever my colleagues have done or said to you in the past hasn't made any difference, so I thought perhaps I'd take a shot."

"I don't need you to be my friend," said Chloe.

"No, you don't. And to be honest, I'd probably get in trouble if my superiors thought you were _my_ friend," said Ben, smiling.

"Really?" Chloe perked up at this suggestion of rule-breaking.

"Yeah. So can we agree to not be friends?"

Chloe looked at him suspiciously. "I guess," she said, slowly. "But what exactly does not being friends with you entail?"

"Talking to me, basically," he said. "Letting me try to see if I can find something to motivate you to, well, curb your behaviour a little."

"Sure it doesn't involve me, you, and your cock?" To his credit, Daniels actually laughed.

"Reading your last, uh, _episode_ , I don't think that's really your thing, is it?" He grinned. "No, it doesn't involve anything like that." He paused, creasing his brow as a thought struck him. "Hasn't anyone been, well, anyone treated you properly?"

"My mom does," said Chloe. "My best friend does." She thought. "Step-douche is just a dick." She shrugged. "That's about it, really."

"So, no one in authority outside your own family?"

"I guess. I mean, that douche who arrested me spoke to me like I was scum, just because I had a bit of weed on me."

"Possession _is_ illegal, Chloe."

"Yeah, but I wasn't dealing it, was I? I mean, it was just for me, help me get through the day. In the grand scheme of things, it's not a massive deal."

Ben looked around furtively, making sure Chloe knew what he was doing. "No, it isn't," he whispered, half-conspiratorially, "but it's still illegal, and I've seen too many kids think it's no big deal, until they progress on to the harder stuff. Look, you want another coffee?"

…

"Chloe!" Max threw her arms around her girlfriend, an embrace which was gratefully reciprocated by a sobbing Chloe and they stayed like that for some time until Chloe's tears finally ceased. "Chloe, what happened?" She began crying as well, and the two held each other for some time until Daniels politely coughed.

"Um, Max, could you wait outside please?" he asked, then nodded to Kate. "If you could take Max back to the other room, I need some time alone with Chloe, okay?" Kate nodded and took Max's hand. The brunette allowed herself to be led out of the room, still sniffling, and then Daniels closed the door and sat down opposite Chloe. He pushed a coffee across to her, but she shook her head. "Uh, Chloe, I need you to drink it," he said. "I may have put something else in there, and I can't have anyone else finding out."

Chloe looked up at the policeman, her eyebrows raised. "It's not coffee?"

"Well, it _is_ coffee, just with a tot of whiskey in it. To warm you up." He smiled. "Go on, I won't tell anyone." Chloe smiled and drank the coffee gratefully, the warm buzz of the drink burning its way down her throat. "Besides, you look like you've been put through the wringer." She nodded sadly and Daniels smiled. "Tell me about it?"

…

"I _knew_ it was taking too long, I _knew_ something was up. Didn't I say?" Max was pacing around the small room. Kate had brought yet another coffee, but it was not having any sort of a placating effect on her friend.

"Max, please, sit down," said Victoria, sighing heavily. "You'll wear out the floor." This earned a giggle from Kate, but she quickly stopped when Max glared at Victoria.

"You think this is funny, huh?" There was ice in her voice, an ice that Victoria recognised only too well from herself.

"No, I was just… trying to lighten the tension in here," she said. "Max… please." She paused. "You're making me… uncomfortable."

"And you'd know, huh?" hissed Max. "Chloe's in there with that… fucking bosh'tet of a cop and she's… she's… _what is it, Kate_?" Kate was giggling horribly, her hand over her mouth and her face a picture of strangled embarrassment as she fought to contain her laughter. Eventually, however, she could hold it in no more and she burst into laughter, Victoria joining her.

"You said… bosh'tet!" cried Kate, tears in her eyes as she laughed. Victoria banged the table as her shoulders heaved, trying desperately and failing to stop her mirth overwhelming her. At first, Max's face was a picture of thunder, but she also was soon unable to stop herself from giggling and bursting into fits of laughter. When they finally calmed down, Max was smiling.

"Did I say… no, I didn't!" she insisted, but Kate was still pointing at her and laughing.

"I'm afraid you did, Max," said Victoria, but then pursed her lips. "Although… I'm curious as to how Kate even knows what a bosh'tet is…" Kate grinned but said nothing, her face burning up as she blushed. "I _knew_ it!" said Victoria, "I knew you were a closet geek! Spill!"

"I… may have played Mass Effect at… some point," she confessed, her face still bright red. "It was… it was awesome."

"Which one?"

"The… second one," said Kate. "I was too young when the first one came out, and I didn't want to play the third one, after everything I read about it, but a friend of mine had an Xbox so I was able to play the second one. I… it was fun."

"You've never played the first or the… Max, we need to rectify this immediately. Kate, they are _all_ awesome. Sure, the third one has an odd ending, but it's not as bad as everyone made out, and the game itself is brilliant! I have them all on my Xbox in my room. Come over and we'll play it together," said Victoria, then rather shyly, "it would be… nice to play it with a friend." Kate nodded, and Victoria turned back to Max, suddenly serious. "Look, Max, I know Chloe's had a shit time today, and I know you'll be there for her. But right now she's with the decent guy. Daniels isn't a bosh'tet, is he?"

"No," conceded Max, "but I… dammit Tori, I want to be there for her."

"And you will. And Chloe _knows_ you will. And I have a sneaking suspicion that Daniels knows that too. You'll get your chance. So just calm down, take a seat and you can be there for her once Daniels talks to her. If I'm right, and I'm rarely wrong, he's trying to repair some of the damage that Gray did. _He's_ the bosh'tet, not Daniels. Right?"

…

"Shit, he's gone further than I expected," said Daniels, shaking his head. "Look, I'm not gonna ask you if you're okay, because you're obviously not."

"No shit," snapped Chloe.

"Yeah, I know, I know," said Daniels. "I'm a policeman, I get it. I'm the enemy. In fact, I'm so much of an enemy that I'm in here now, trying to talk to you and calm you down a little before I go and get your girlfriend to support you the rest of the way. I'm so much of the enemy that I'm here, making sure you vent your anger out on me instead of Max. I guess that makes me a really horrible person." He smiled, and Chloe looked a little sheepish. "I'm not expecting anything from you, Chloe. We've been not friends with each other a year or so now, right? What have I ever asked you for? I'm not asking you for anything now. You're hurting. I get it." He paused, as if thinking, then suddenly stood and knelt on the floor next to her. "Listen to me very carefully, Chloe, okay? If anyone ever asks me what I'm about to tell you, I'll deny I ever said it, and please don't repeat this to anyone you don't absolutely trust."

Chloe went suddenly quiet. "Go on," she whispered.

"Lieutenant Gray has one job at the station house, and one job only," said Daniels. He was talking very quietly and very quickly. "His job is to ensure that the Prescott's interests are upheld. He will do his job as a police officer, and, though I hate to say it, he does his job reasonably competently. But all that goes out the window once Sean Prescott calls. And Sean Prescott _has_ called. Gray will do everything in his power to…"

"… ruin me?"

"No. He couldn't care less about you, Chloe. His orders are to ensure Nathan gets off scott-free. Any collateral damage is… unfortunate but tolerated. And one way to get Nathan off is to discredit you." Daniels took a quick breath. "And, let's face it, he's chosen you to discredit because, well, the other choices are a Christian girl who can do no wrong, the Head of Security at Blackwell, and a member of the Chase family. I'm sorry, Chloe, but you're an easy target."

"So what do I do? Is there anything I _can_ do?"

"You're in the right here, okay? You and I both know what happened, and I believe you. So stick with your story and don't change it. Don't let him get to you, okay? Remember, it's not only you, it's Max, Victoria, Kate and David Madsen." He sighed heavily. "Dammit, I'm sorry, Chloe, I wish I'd taken less time with you. He had no right to keep you locked in here." He sighed again. "You know ,you didn't have to speak to him, you could have just refused to say anything, or asked for a lawyer."

"Yeah, I know," said Chloe, slapping the side of her head with her hand. "But in there, all sense of reason goes out the window. I just knew the door was locked and I was a prisoner. I… couldn't think straight. I'm sorry, Ben."

"It's okay, Chloe," he said. "I know how it can get in there. Look, I've got your statement here, and the others. I'll make copies now to ensure it doesn't get 'lost', and I'll give them to David, okay? He'll be able to keep them safe." He stood up. "I'll take you back to Max now. I think she's best placed to take it from here, yeah?" Chloe nodded and stood, taking Ben's offered hand.

"Thanks dude," she said. "For… for everything."

"I've got your back, Chloe," he said, "you know that, right? As long as you keep on the straight and narrow, I'll have your back."


	37. 36 Victoria's Room

"This sucks."

The four girls were in Victoria's room. Max and Chloe were sat, cuddled together on the bed, while Victoria was rummaging around her closet, trying to find the controller for her Xbox 360 (she'd put the console away and hadn't used it since she'd pre-ordered her Xbox One, but that wasn't due for another month or so, besides Mass Effect wasn't on the new console). She looked up at Chloe, who was wearing a semi-permanent scowl as Max tried her best to get her to smile.

"We'll get through this, Chloe," said Max, cuddling up tighter to her girlfriend. "We make a good team."

"I hope so," said Chloe. "That asshole was talking some serious stuff back there."

"I doubt it," said Victoria, standing up in triumph, holding the controller and carefully setting it down next to copies of the three Mass Effect games. "I think it was mainly bullshit."

"What? You weren't there," said Chloe, getting quickly riled, "you have no idea what he…"

"No, I didn't mean that," said Victoria, quickly. "I meant the last bit, about him finding shit to charge you with down at the station house. That was bullshit. It was all bluster. You can rest easy on that. Ain't gonna happen." The door opened as she finished speaking and Kate walked in, carrying a tray of tea.

"You think?" said Chloe, accepting a cup from Kate as she handed out the tea and took a seat. "'Cause he seemed pretty fucking serious to me. Shit, sorry Kate," finished Chloe, looking sheepish as the blonde girl glared at her. "Um, thanks for the tea."

"Yeah, it was bluster. Guaranteed. He can't afford to arrest you, it would bring too much publicity down on what's actually going on. He's just counting on your silence." Victoria sat down and sipped her tea, smiling at Kate. "See, I've been thinking about what he said to you," she continued. "He can't go after me, because, well, I'm a victim and a Chase. Kate is way too good and pious, he may as well go around clubbing baby seals and putting it on youtube for all the good that would do him. No, he went after you specifically."

"That's what Daniels said, too," said Chloe. "I'm an… easy target, he said."

"Sorry, but he's right," agreed Victoria. "But that's also something in your favour, isn't it?"

"I don't see how. I mean, he made me feel this big," said Chloe, holding her thumb and index finger an inch apart, but Victoria wasn't finished.

She turned to Kate, motioning at her with her hand. "With all due respect, Kate, you'd never have been able to survive Gray's interrogation. I'm not sure I would, either, but you did."

"Survived? I feel like shit!" scoffed Chloe. "Shit, sorry, Kate. Again." She shrugged her shoulders. "I'm trying, Marshmallow, I really am. But some habits are harder to break than others."

Kate smiled. "I know, Chloe, and I'm grateful that you're making an effort on my behalf."

"Yeah, you do feel like that," said Victoria. "But look. You're here. You're still here, and Max is still here _with_ you. That means you had the strength of character not to lose your temper. See, I think _that's_ the real reason he was there. If he could get you to lose your temper, attack him or something similar, he could arrest you for assaulting a police officer and you'd be out of the picture, discredited and alone. But you didn't. You were able to think clearly, control yourself and survive. So now, all he has is a bogus made-up charge that he can't stick, plus you're still here and able to think clearly." She nodded at Chloe. "I never thought I'd say this, Price, but well done. Seriously, Chloe, well done."

"Fuck, you're going soft, Chase," said Chloe, but without any real malice and a small smirk on her face. Next to her, Max tightened her hold, eliciting a small gasp from the punk as Kate glared once more at Chloe, although this time Chloe didn't catch herself or apologise.

"She's right," said Kate, ignoring Chloe's language. "I wouldn't have been able to stand up to him. Thanks," she continued, as Victoria handed her a copy of Mass Effect, and she turned the DVD case over in her hands, looking at the back. "But won't it be weird if I've already played the sequel?"

"Not at all," said Victoria. "In fact, you'll probably learn a thing or two about the sequel as you play. See, the sequel was really designed to be played after the original…"

"Duh!" said Chloe, and Max giggled.

Victoria wasn't amused. "I meant," she said ignoring the interruption, "you make decisions in the first game that have an effect on the second. You see, like when you…"

" _No spoilers!_ " chorused Max and Chloe, and Kate giggled.

"I'm looking forward to it," she said, then adding shyly, "but only if you'll play it with me."

Max cleared her throat as Kate began blushing, and all attention was focussed on her. "We need to figure out what to do next," she said. "It seems pretty obvious that Daddy Prescott is pulling a few strings. Tori, do you know him at all?"

"Sean? I've met him once or twice, but never for very long," said Victoria, shivering. "I didn't like him. No, it's more than that. He… I guess the best way to describe it is that he made me feel _really_ uneasy around him."

"Creepy?"

"It's difficult to put my finger on it," she said, pursing her lips. "I mean, he's reasonably handsome for an older guy, but he's got this air, this _aura_ about him that's _really_ unattractive. He's very aloof, he'll talk down to you like you're a second class citizen. He's really… focussed, I think is a good way to describe him. He's also very cold, especially towards his children. He never treated Nathan well, I know, I know," she said, holding up her hands, "it's not an excuse for what he did, but it _is_ a reason why he turned to Jefferson. See, Sean is a control freak at everything but fatherhood. He was just _never_ there for Nathan."

"He didn't care?"

"No, it wasn't that at all. He cared a great deal about Nathan succeeding him as a son and heir, but he had zero interest in bringing him up. He left that to others. Hired help and suchlike. It's like he just couldn't be bothered. He just wanted a son to succeed him, but without the hassle of bringing one up. His mother was similarly distant. The only one who really cared was Kristine, his sister, and she left for pastures new to escape Sean a few years back. Since then, Nathan's been on his own." She paused, looking down at her hands. "Looking back at it now, it's not surprising that he latched onto Jefferson. He… he brainwashed him, he gave him everything he craved. Attention, support, training, love."

"Love?"

"I'm sure that Nathan saw it that way," said Victoria, answering Chloe's snorted outburst. "It's easy to confuse attention for love, especially when you've been starved of proper parental love." At this, her lower lip began to tremble and she suddenly stood up. "I'll… I'll be back in a moment," she said, rushing out of the room. Kate immediately rose to follow, but Chloe waved her down.

"I've got this," she said, standing and leaving the room. Once Max and Kate were alone, there was silence for a few moments, before Kate spoke.

"Is she… okay, do you think?"

"Yeah," said Max. "I think something she said just hit home pretty hard. It can happen to anyone, you know. But she'll get over it. Chloe's there with her."

"And?"

Max smiled. "Chloe might be a wiseass at times, but she's really good at this sort of thing. She'll help Tori."

"I… I hope so," said Kate, shifting slightly in her seat. "I never thought I'd be in the position I am now, where Victoria Chase is one of my best friends. You know, after what she…"

"Yeah," said Max, interrupting her. "I'm glad she's turned out… the way she has."

"Thanks, Max," said Kate, getting up and unexpectedly putting her arms around her friend.

"For what?"

"I know that Victoria's only this way because of you."

"No, that's not right," said Max.

"It is."

"No," insisted Max. "I knew she could be like that. I just gave her a bit of a helping hand, that's all."

"What was she like last week?"

"Tori? Well, pretty much like she was always. It wasn't until the end of the week that she actually showed me the sort of person she could be. We actually talked at the party, and I knew that underneath Queen Bitch, she was actually a good person, trapped, wanting to get out but not really knowing how. So, this week, armed with that knowledge, I was able to help her let herself out."

"Still, thanks." Kate returned to her seat. "And now she wants to play Mass Effect with me."

"Yeah," smiled Max. "Sounds like fun times for the two of you." She grinned suddenly. "So, will it be MaleShep or FemShep?"

"What?"

"When you create your Shepard? Will you be creating male Shepard or female Shepard?"

"Um, female, I guess. I mean, we're both girls, aren't we?" said Kate, looking somewhat confused.

"Yes. You are both girls," said Max, still smirking. "Both of you."

"Max, I'm sorry, I'm just not following you," said Kate, still confused. "What _are_ you talking about?"

"Well," said Max, slowly, "you and Victoria have been spending a lot of time together recently, haven't you?"

"Well, we _are_ friends," said the blonde girl, "it's only natural that… wait, you're not talking about…" She stopped talking as her face blushed crimson and she looked away.

"Ha!" said Max.

"No, it's not like that," said Kate. "We're not, I mean, I'm not… oh, I'm not very good at this, Max." She took a few moments to calm herself down, then faced back to Max. "We're just friends, Max. That's it. That's all it'll be."

"Are you… sure? I mean, she's obviously…"

"I'm sure Max, I mean, you know, 'cause it's wrong and…" said Kate, jumping slightly as the door banged open and Chloe walked in, looking incredibly pleased with herself. "Oh h… hi Chloe. Is… Vic… Victoria okay?"

"Yeah, she is," grinned the punk. "Chloe strikes again. Booyah!" She threw herself back onto Victoria's bed and Max instinctively snuggled up to her. "She'll be along in a minute, Marshmallow."

Sure enough, a few minutes later saw Victoria return, looking sheepish as she sat down on the floor. Kate looked at her in concern, but Victoria shook her head, almost imperceptibly.

"So, what now?" said Max.

"I'd like to think it's all over," said Kate, shaking her head, "but it's not, is it?"

"It _could_ be," said Victoria. "All we have to do is be strong, right? I mean, we stick together, stick to the truth… well, you know what I mean, Max, and we'll be fine. Gray might be an asshole, but even he can't ignore the law, right?" Max and Kate nodded, but Chloe didn't seem convinced.

"I don't know," she said, shivering slightly, causing Max to snuggle up closer, "I think he's got something else up his sleeve. You weren't there. You didn't hear him."

"We'll get through it together, Chloe," said Max, leaning her head on Chloe's shoulders. "Yeah?" Chloe nodded, a little hesitantly, but then again with more resolve.

"Yeah, we will," she said.

"But what about the storm?" asked Kate. "Is it… still coming?" Max nodded in response.

"Looks like it," she said, shaking her head. "Everything I tried to do to stop it, I failed."

Victoria looked up. "That's not true," she said. "Look what you've achieved this week. Just… look. Look around you, for a start. Look where you are, right at this moment. Look who's next to you." She smiled. "I'd say things have improved, wouldn't you, Kate? Chloe?" They both nodded in response, but Max just looked at them.

"The storm's still coming," she repeated, "Arcadia will still be destroyed. People will die." She held on to Chloe, but the punk just smiled.

"You leave that to us," she said, cryptically. "Chase and Price, working together for… the first time?"

"What?" Max was stunned, but Victoria just grinned.

"Yeah, Chloe's had a rather brilliant idea," she said, "so you leave that to us, okay? Just concentrate on getting some rest, sorting yourself out and just go back to being a teenage girl." She smiled warmly. "I need to recruit my minions," she said, standing up. "Coming, Kate?" The Christian girl looked up, started, but, seeing the sincerity in Victoria's eyes, nodded and followed her out of the room. "Catch ya'll later!"

Chloe watched them go, then stood up, pulling Max to her feet but still keeping her close. "Come on, Maximus," she said. "It's time."

"Time for what?" asked Max, but Chloe just grinned.

"Time to be ourselves. Just you and me, Maxi-baby," she said. "I want to spend some quality time with my girlfriend." She grinned suddenly. "Maybe make some new, happier memories. Yeah?"

Max looked at Chloe for a moment, then broke into a huge smile. "Yes," she whispered, letting Chloe lead her out of Victoria's room and across the hallway. "Yes."

…

Max sighed contentedly, wriggling slightly as she dozed, trying to maintain a level of comfort. She was vaguely aware of Chloe, spooned behind her, her knees fitting perfectly into the crook of Max's legs and she subconsciously smiled.

For the first time in what seemed like ages, she was content.

She'd spent the last few hours with Chloe. They'd ordered and shared a delicious pizza (complete with a reconstruction of the Lady and the Tramp spaghetti scene but with mozzarella), began watching an old classic Disney film, but within 15 minutes of the film beginning, it was totally forgotten as they enjoyed each other's company instead.

And that's how it was. Making out, cuddling, making out some more (at one point it threatened to turn into something more, but Max's nerves locked her up and Chloe just held her until she calmed down), until finally they dozed in each other's arms. At some point while sleeping, Max had wriggled over and Chloe had unconsciously become the big spoon, happily wrapping her arms around her girlfriend.

At some point, Max began to move a little more in her sleep, coupled with some whimpering. The noise was enough to wake Chloe, not all the way, but enough to recognise the signs of a bad dream, and she lifted her right leg over Max's legs and pulled her girlfriend tight, kissing the back of her neck and head, whispering sweet nothings into her ear.

"Ssh, Maximus, it's okay. You're just having a bad dream," she whispered, her lips brushing against her girlfriend's ear, a sensation that made her own heart leap for joy. "I'm here with you," she continued. "I'll always be here for you, Max." She hesitated, biting her lip, trying to work up a little more courage as her heart beat faster. "I… Max Caulfield, you're beautiful and I love you," she whispered, her heart beating a wild rhythm in her ears as her cheeks burned, even though she knew Max couldn't hear her, or not to an extent that she could remember. However, her words had the desired effect. She smiled as she heard Max's breathing slow back to its normal rate, her quiet whimpering stopped and she calmed down, returning to her contented slumber.

"I _can_ do something right," she whispered to herself. "Max needs me, maybe now more than ever. And I promise you, my love, I'll be there for you. Whenever you need me. That's a promise."


	38. 37 The Amber Glow

"I love you."

The girl was sitting on the floor, legs crossed, watching the other occupant of the sparse room. Sparse was certainly an accurate term for the cell. Four concrete walls, a ceiling and a floor. One bulb set into the ceiling behind a small pane of thick Perspex, a bed, a desk and a chair. That was everything that Nathan Prescott could currently call home. A far cry from the decadence he was used to: lush carpets, a butler, as much money as he could eat, and the same in his dorm room (minus the butler, although only because they weren't allowed).

Except there was something else in his cell as well.

She was sat on the floor, her legs crossed, watching him. Her eyes were unblinking and foggy, her clothes old and ripped, showing sickly, grey flesh underneath. Her voice was rasping and yet, still alluring. She still had an aura of attraction surrounding her, an aura Nathan which Nathan recognised, but couldn't quite put his finger on.

"I love you," she said, simply, as she had been for the last half an hour. She often appeared to him, sometimes at night, sometimes during the day. Probably more often during the day, now. She was there with him more often than not. It was particularly difficult when she'd appear to him during class, sat next to him, talking to him. It was almost impossible to ignore her. Of course, nobody else could see her, but they could certainly see that he was distracted. Several of the stupid teachers had already written up reports about it, reports that were quickly suppressed by that pompous fool Wells. Nathan smiled. Wells knew his place, he knew the value of keeping Nathan happy.

"I love you." Her voice was still sing-song, even through the rasp of the dead. He knew that as soon as he gave her his attention she would alter her appearance, and become the angel he knew she always was. Beautiful, desirable, alluring and irresistible.

She always wanted his attention. She needed his attention. She craved it.

When she first started appearing, she would sit quietly for hours, just staring at him. She was easy to ignore at that point, but then she started talking to him. She'd tried different tactics to get his attention over the months. Talking, whispering, hitching up her skirt to show her creamy, dreamy thighs. And now she'd taken to appearing as she was now, dead, decomposing. Until he gave her his attention, of course. Then she'd change into her best clothes, just for him.

She was here with him now, and so he knew he may as well turn to her.

He always did, in the end.

"What do you want, Rachel?" he said, turning and looking fully at her. As he knew she would, she smiled widely, her skin repairing itself, her clothes reforming into a silken white summer dress with a blue floral pattern, the skirt riding high on her legs as she sat, cross-legged. Her hair cleaned itself, shining bright as it grew long and full and she shook it out. He frowned.

"You've grown your hair," he said.

"You like it?" she purred, but Nathan shook his head.

"You looked better with it shorter," he said, and she grinned.

"Anything for you," she said, her hair changing and shortening until it was at shoulder length once more. "Better, my love?"

"Much better," he said, and smiled at her, eliciting a warm smile in response.

"Why am I in here?" she said, looking around the cell. "It's not a very nice place. Not very clean."

"You're here because I am," he said. "I'm here."

"Why?"

"Because of what I did yesterday."

"But you didn't do anything!" protested Rachel. "The guard didn't die, did he?"

"No," said Nathan, shaking his head. "But, there was other stuff going on. You know."

"Oh, you mean with Mark?" Rachel sighed wistfully. "I always liked Mark. He was… inventive in bed."

" _Shut up!_ " shouted Nathan. "You're mine, not his!" Rachel just pouted.

"You could never have me, could you?" she taunted. "You wanted me, but you couldn't have me. I was… Mark's. All Mark's."

"Why?" said Nathan, beginning to weep. "He didn't love you, I did. I loved you, Rachel, I loved you completely. I… still love you."

"I know, my love," she said, gently. "I know, now. I'm sorry, I thought that Mark loved me, but he didn't. Only you _really_ loved me."

"I would have done anything for you."

"But you have," she said, coquettishly. "You have done quite a few things for me. You're very good to me, Nate." He face fell. "Although you didn't kill the stupid punk yesterday, like I asked you to." She stood up, her small frame towering over Nathan as he sat on the bed. "Why didn't you, Nathan?" she asked, her face carefully set into a neutral expression. He knew that expression. It was a sign. A sign he knew all too well. He had to be very careful about what he said next. Last time he'd neglected to notice the signs, the punishment had been… severe.

"I tried," he said, looking at her briefly, but then looking down at the floor again. "I shot her, just as you told me to! I couldn't have known her stepfather would jump in front of her! _It wasn't my fault!_ "

"I see," she said, turning around and sitting at the table. "But you didn't then finish the job, did you?" She pouted. "Don't you love me any more?"

"You know that's not true," insisted Nathan. "That punk bitch jumped me. I… I didn't have a chance. And now look at me. Look where I am." A sob escaped his lips before he managed to control it. "I'm fucked."

"Don't worry, Nathan, didn't I say I'd look after you?" Rachel deliberately sat backwards on the chair, facing Nathan with her legs spread either said of the chair back, her elbows resting on it.

"You always look after me," agreed the young man. "But look at this!" He motioned around the cell, but she only shook her head in disagreement.

"Don't worry, Nathan. I said I'd look after you, and I will. Just keep the faith, okay? Can you do that for me?" She dazzled her best smile at the young man, who found himself powerless to resist, and he nodded eagerly.

…

"You're not doing enough." The voice on the other end of the phone was crackly, but the emotion contained was quite clear. "You know exactly what you have to achieve."

"But Sean, what you're asking is…"

"I don't _care_ if what I'm asking for is easy or hard, Gray, I only care that it gets done. Am I making myself _crystal_ clear?"

Gray wiped his brow. The conversation was going just as well as he'd expected. "Sean, look, I _do_ understand what you're saying, but you have to see things from my point of view. I can't just circumvent the law."

"Why not? You've done it before."

"I know that, but looking the other way now and again, possession, a bit of dealing, various minor assaults, that's completely different. Nathan _shot_ someone, Sean. He _shot_ the head of Security at Blackwell. That's attempted murder! This is a completely different league, Sean."

"Who was trespassing…"

"I _know_ how we're trying to spin it, Sean," said Gray. "I'm just saying this isn't going to be easy."

"I see, it's like that, is it?" the voice said, sighing. "How much more do you want?"

"Sean, please," said Gray, "that's not it…"

"Five hundred? A thousand? Five thousand? What would it take, Gray?"

"If you'd let me get a word in, Sean, please," said Gray, beginning to sweat. He was speaking slowly and deliberately, in an effort not to irritate his benefactor further. "I'm not sure money's going to solve this. These people aren't the type to be bought off, like…"

"Like you?"

Gray hesitated. "Yeah," he said, quietly, then continued, stronger. "David Madsen can't be bought, the girls, well, Chase doesn't need the money, Marsh is, well, we won't get anywhere with her. Price is the only leverage I've got."

"Then _use_ it!"

"I'm trying, Sean. I spoke to her this morning, but she didn't crack." He sighed. "She's stronger than I gave her credit for."

"Then try harder, Gray. This is what I pay you for." He sighed. "You need to _find_ some leverage on her. Something that will break her. If she's our only route, then _I want her broken!_ "

"I'll try, Sean."

"You'll do everything you need to do, Gray, won't you? You'll use every method at your disposal, you'll pull in any favours you need to, you _will break that girl_. Do I have to make myself clear on the consequences if Nathan is in a cell tonight?"

Gray gulped audibly. "No… Sean, you don't."

"Then get to it."

"Yes, Sean, I'll…" The phone clicked as Sean Precott hung up, leaving Gray talking to thin air. He hung his head, composing himself. "Fucking…" he muttered, banging his hand on the desk in front of him.

…

"Let me get this straight. You want my… what was it you called it? Cooperation? Assistance? Help? _Charity?_ " Clad only in a paper-white suit, Mark Jefferson lay on his bed, hands behind his head, looking up at Gray with an amused expression on his face.

"Assistance, Jefferson. That's what I want," said Gray. "I'm here to talk to you."

"Shouldn't you be accompanied?" said Jefferson. He hadn't moved. "I'm dangerous. Didn't anyone tell you?"

"This is… somewhat unofficial," said Gray. He was obviously uncomfortable in Jefferson's presence, he could barely contain his revulsion at having to share a room space with the man.

"I see," said Jefferson, his interest piqued. "You are here unofficially to talk to me." He pursed his lips. "Let me see. You want to talk to me about how I may assist you in some matter you have so far not disclosed. That means… that means, now let me see. Am I right so far?"

"That much is obvious," Gray conceded.

"So tell me more." When Gray didn't answer, he sat up and swung his legs over the end of the bed. "You won't tell me what you want my assistance for. Interesting," he mused. "That tells me that you are unsure of me. You're… afraid of me, you don't trust me, yet you come to me for help."

"I'm not afraid of you, you sick fuck," spat Gray, but Jefferson just smiled.

"Maybe not," he conceded, "but you're definitely afraid of something." He grinned suddenly. "I wonder what… who it could be?" He continued grinning. "I think I know. Have we had a telephone call from Daddy? Are we under pressure to make something happen, something that would prove impossible if you followed the law? Something like, oh, I don't know, _getting a certain son out of jail?_ "

"Just get to the point, Jefferson."

"Simple. I want to know what's going on."

"No way."

"Then you'll get nothing from me," smiled Jefferson. He had Gray over a barrel and he knew it.

Gray knew it too. "I can't," he sighed.

"Then we're done here." Jefferson laid back down on the bed and grinned. "I'll… be here if you change your mind. I'm here all week."

Gray hesitated, then spoke wearily. "If I tell you, you'll help me?"

Jefferson looked at Gray with a hint of a smirk. "No, but I'll consider it."

…

"I _do_ love you, Nathan. Don't you know that?"

"Then why did you leave me?" Nathan was still sat on the edge of his bed, tears pouring down his cheeks, but now Rachel was sat next to him. She'd draped her arm around him, and was leaning her head on his shoulder.

"I had to, my darling," she whispered.

"But I didn't want you to go!"

"You killed me, Nate, remember?" She wriggled slightly, and Nathan gasped. "You put me to sleep, and then you put me in the ground. That's why I had to leave you. At least, for a little while." She smiled, placing her hand on Nathan's thigh. "But I'm back now. And I'm never leaving you again."

"Good."

"There is something I need you to do for me, my love."

"Something else?"

"Well, not exactly. Think of it as unfinished business. Remember that movie you watched with Kristine? Remember? You lay there in her arms, feeling safe? She was there for you, like I am now? The movie that said about ghosts simply being spirits with unfinished business?"

"I remember," mumbled the young man. "That was a good night. It was… peaceful. I like…. Peaceful. And quiet. I like quiet. I just want people to leave me alone.""

"Yes. You felt safe, didn't you?" Nathan nodded. "Well, I have unfinished business." Rachel stood and moved around until she was in front of Nathan. She knelt once more and laid her head on his lap. "I need you to take care of it for me, my love," she murmured. "Can you do that for me? If you can, I'll never leave you. I'll be with you, forever."

He looked up. Her head was still in his lap. "How can I do anything?" he said. "I'm stuck in here, and I'm not getting out."

"Don't be so sure," she said. "Didn't I say I'd take care of you?" She pouted. "Don't you love me? Don't you trust me?"

"Yes," Nathan admitted, quietly.

"Then say it."

"I love you," he said.

"And?"

"I trust you," he continued, after a short pause. That felt good. He felt strength returning to his spirit. "What do you need me to do?"

Rachel stood up to her full height. "I need you to kill Chloe Price!" she announced, pointing dramatically in front of her.

"I tried! I tried yesterday!"

"Not hard enough," she said. "You must try again, and this time, _you must not fail_."

"But why? I don't understand why you want me to kill her? Wasn't she your friend?" He shook his head. "I mean, after you… vanished, I saw that punk bitch putting up posters all the time. It seemed like she cared for you." He shrugged. "Of course, not as much as I did, but still…"

"She didn't care for me!" shouted Rachel. Her voice, although loud, was resonating around the small cell as if it were a far larger area, and her image was briefly mixing the brilliant white with a darker red hue as she slowly levitated into the air. "She only ever cared about that stupid trash, Maxine. It was always Maxine this, Maxine that. The fucking bitch dumped her!" she continued, her voice rising in pitch until it was almost an unbearable screech. "She came to me! To me! _I was her fucking friend, and all she did was bemoan Maxine!_ " She dropped back to the ground and looked directly at Nathan, putting her hand in his lap. "She must die," she said.

"She must die," agreed Nathan, with a gasp as she moved her hand slowly. "If I get out of here."

"You will," she said. "You will."


	39. 38 Some Home Truths

David Madsen was tired of being poked and prodded.

"Just go away and leave me alone!" he'd growled the last time the nurse had come in for more tests. Goddammit, he was fine! They said he'd make a full recovery, so why couldn't they just leave him alone to recover? Damned blood tests, temperature tests, bandage tests, he was sick of the lot of them! The nurse had scuttled out after his outburst, but soon after, his wife had arrived to visit, and someone must have let on to her about his antics. She wasn't happy.

"You shouldn't have behaved like that," she said, almost as soon as she'd walked into the hospital room and closed the door. "They're only trying to help, you know. It's their job."

"Yeah, but I hate it!" he moaned, by way of response. "All they do is scuttle in, take a blood sample, prod me, poke me, pinch my skin. I'm sick of it!"

"Then you'll just have to continue being sick of it," said Joyce. She sat on the bed and glared at her husband. "If you get yourself kicked out of here because of your behaviour, don't for _one minute_ think I'm gonna be caring for you at home. No sir, no way. Nuh-uh," she said. "I've a job to do, remember, especially now you can't do yours."

"You…"

"Besides, what do you think Chloe will say when I tell her you got yourself kicked out of the hospital because you couldn't behave?"

"You wouldn't dare…"

"Oh yeah? How long have we been married, David?" she asked, the corner of her lip turning up in a cheeky smirk. "Long enough to know that I don't bluff, right?" David just growled in response, so Joyce continued. "So I'll just tell the staff that you'll behave from now on, shall I?" He nodded, reluctantly, and Joyce flashed him a dazzling smile. "That's more like it," she said, her voice softening. "Now, how are you feeling?"

"Not too bad, actually," he admitted, "they did a decent job."

"And the pain?"

"It's still there," he said, flexing his arm and grimacing, "but I can ignore it. I've had worse."

"I know," she said, but her husband frowned at that.

"How?" he asked. "I've… I can't talk about it, you know that."

"Yeah, I know," said Joyce, nodding and taking his hand. "But I've heard you when you're sleeping."

"When I'm… sleeping? I don't dream."

"Yes, you do," said Joyce, gripping her husband's hand tightly. "I've no idea about what, but I know you've experienced some horrors. Whenever you start calling out, or murmuring in your sleep, I just roll over and hold you tight. I can't always make out what you say, but I can sense the emotions behind it." She smiled. "Keep you safe." Her husband couldn't reply, but he gripped her hand tighter, and she knew. "It's okay, David," she said. "I'm here for you. If you want to talk, you can. If you can't, then that's okay too."

"I know you're…" David stopped talking as he choked up a little. Joyce looked away as he composed himself, then cleared his throat. "I know you're here, Joyce," he said, "and I promise you, if I'm ever in a position to talk about… what happened, I'll come to you. I… I trust you."

"I know you do, darling," she said. "I'm proud of you…" Here it was Joyce's turn to choke up, but she managed to bring herself around. "I'm proud of you, and what you did for our family."

"I just did my…"

"David, shut up and take the compliment. You saved my little girl," she said, beginning to sob in earnest. "You… you could have been killed!"

"Joyce, she's our daughter. I just did what any…" he paused to take a deep breath, "father would have done."

"No, David, what you did was nothing short of heroic. Talk about above and beyond…" Joyce laid her head on her husband's shoulder. "I love you, David. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Joyce. I…" he stopped talking, unable to continue, but Joyce just smiled.

"I know, honey," she said. "I know."

…

"Come on, Chloe, we don't want to be late," said Max, getting out of the truck. When the punk didn't move from the driver's seat, Max climbed back in. "You okay, Chlo?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," insisted Chloe, although her eyes and her posture said different.

"You're not fooling me, Chloe Elizabeth Price," said Max, smiling and putting her hand over her girlfriend's. "Come on, I know there's something up, it's obvious. Tell me."

"Oh, I don't know, Max," said Chloe, turning and smiling faintly at the brunette, "I guess I'm just… worried, that's all."

"About what?"

"It's nothing, really."

"Don't give me that, Chloe," said Max, her eyes steeling themselves. "If you can't talk to me… just tell me what's bothering you." She leaned into Chloe and wrapped her arm around her. "Besides, I wouldn't be a very good girlfriend if you couldn't talk to me, now, would I?"

Despite her concern, Chloe couldn't help but smile at the effort that Max was making. "Yeah, okay," she conceded. "I guess I'm worried about a lot of things. You and me, me and step… David, the police, all of it, you know?"

Max smiled gently. "It's okay to be worried, Chloe, yeah? I mean, everything we've been through these last few days, it's things we should never have to go through, but we got through it, didn't we, we survived, and we're both stronger for it, right?"

"I guess."

"There's no guessing about it." Max pressed her head into Chloe's chest, getting herself comfortable. "I know you've been appearing strong for the others, but I could see it in your eyes. He really hurt you, Chloe. I know, okay? It's obvious." Chloe just nodded, and Max continued. "But you're _not_ alone, no matter what he's trying to get you to think. You are _not alone_. You have me, and I'm not going anywhere, okay? You can be completely honest and open with me. I won't judge you, I won't throw it back at you. I won't abandon you, Chloe, I'll just be here to support you, the same way I know you'll be here to support me. Right?" Chloe mumbled something which Max couldn't catch, so she just carried on. "Okay, so let's look at what's going on, take it piece by piece, okay?"

"Let's start with you and me," said Max. She was still comfortably wrapped around Chloe, her head listening to her girlfriend's heartbeat. "Five days ago, you didn't know I was back in town. Five days ago, you hated me, or something similar. Perhaps not hate." She frowned. "Actually, I hope you didn't hate me."

"I didn't hate you," mumbled Chloe, "but I hated what you did."

"That's a fair point," conceded Max. "But we got past that, yeah? So look how far we've come in five days," said Max, leaning up and planting a soft kiss on Chloe's lips, then settling down again. Chloe instinctively wrapped her arms around Max and smiled gently.

"Point taken," said Chloe.

"So, how did you feel when you first saw me on Monday?"

"What?"

"I need to access your emotions," said Max, seriously. "You're hurting, and I'm desperate to support you, okay? So please, roll with me on this. I'm doing this the only way I know how. Tell me, how did you feel when you saw me on Monday?"

"Well, I mean, I didn't know it was you straight off," she said. "Nathan was wailing on you and I just wanted to get you out of there. It was when I nearly run you over that I actually recognised you."

"And?"

"I mean, I don't know."

"Come on, Chloe, you can do better than that."

"No, I mean seriously. Like, I was so happy to see you, all the suppressed crap over the years started bubbling to the surface, both good and bad, but I was still mad at you for what you did. Also, I was scared that Nathan had actually hurt you. If he had… but I knew he had a gun, so yeah, I was scared, you know?"

"That's good, Chloe. And when did you start mellowing towards me?"

"Sort of straight away, if I'm honest," admitted Chloe, sheepishly. "I mean, I could never stay mad at you for long, could I? Only this time you were away, so it was easier to stay mad. But with you there, in my room again, it was… it felt right. But yeah, I still hurt, and I took it out on you later on. I went home after that and I cried. I cried for ages, Max," she said, and Max responded by tightening her embrace. "I realised then that the feelings I'd always had for you were still there."

"Still…"

"I love you, Max," said Chloe, beginning to cry. "I've always loved you. I tried to put it off as a stupid crush, but it was so much more than that. And when you left…"

"Oh Chloe, I'm so sorry!" cried Max, burying her head in Chloe's chest. "I never realised that you… I mean, I never knew."

"I know. I couldn't tell you."

"You could tell me anything!"

"Not this, Max. I… it could have ruined what we had, and I didn't want that." She shrugged. "But I do. I love you."

"Chloe, I…"

"It's okay, Max, you don't have to say it back," said Chloe, wiping her eyes. "I just wanted to tell you, you know?"

"Chloe, I… I'm sorry, but my mouth won't let me say the words that are in my heart," said Max, but Chloe just grinned.

"That's close enough for me, Caulfield," she said, and the two girls cried together for a few minutes, occasionally kissing, before Max pulled herself together and sat back up on the seat. Chloe faux-pouted for a few seconds, but the serious look on Max's face brought her down to earth. "Max?" she asked.

"You said you were worried about other things," said Max. "Like David."

"Yeah."

"What about him? I thought you were… well, less hostile," said Max, carefully.

"I was, I mean, I am," said Chloe, sighing heavily. "You think you know someone right, but, you know, he fucking saved my life! He jumped in front of a bullet for me. Talk about unexpected." She began absent-mindedly stroking Max's head. "Maybe you were right about him after all."

"He loves you, Chloe. He's just not good at showing it."

"You might be right, Max," said Chloe, "but I mean, I've not exactly given him a chance. And he's there, lying in hospital when it should be me."

"Chloe, he loves you," said Max, and Chloe nodded sadly.

"I've given him so much shit and stress over the years," she said. "We were both constantly at each other's throats. We'd fight, scream and yell at each other…"

"He hit you," said Max.

"Yeah, he… wait, how'd you…"

"I saw it," said Max. "Last week. We'd just met for the first time, you'd brought me back to the house and David had come upstairs. I was hiding in the closet, you know, our 'safe spot', and he found your weed. You both yelled, and then he slapped you. I… rewound," finished Max, tears coming to her eyes again. "He was… before I rewound, he looked aghast at what he'd done."

"Wasn't the first time," said Chloe. "I'd given him plenty of ammunition before, and yeah, he'd snapped a few times." She dropped her head sadly. "I wasn't good to him, Max."

"I know, sweetie," said Max, "but he still loves you. Perhaps the two of you can start again. You know, after he…"

"… saved my life?" Chloe nodded. "Perhaps we can. Fuck, he took a bullet for me, Max. That's not something you forget easily."

"Nor should you," said Max. "You need to remember what he willingly did for you. That's right, isn't it? I mean, he jumped in front of you on purpose, he didn't slip or anything like that?"

"No, he did it on purpose," said Chloe. "He knew exactly what he was doing." She began to cry. "Fuck, what have I done, Max? I've been horrible to him, and he took a fucking bullet for me!"

"It's okay, Chloe," said Max, leaning into her once more. "Just make sure you don't forget, give him a second chance. You've been mellowing to him for a couple of days now, so just roll with it." She smiled. "Come on, let's go in. He'll be thrilled to see you, I suspect."

"Yeah," she said, "but what about Gray?"

"Don't worry about him," said Max. "We talked about him last night, didn't we? We're gonna stay strong, stick together and beat him. We're gonna beat the fuck out of him!"

"Yeah," said Chloe, grinning. "Yeah!" She unlocked the door and made to get out, but stopped. Max just looked at her. "Thanks, Max."

"What for?"

"For being you. For being wonderful. For being amazing. For being mine."

"See, you can get mushy," giggled Max. "Come on, he'll be waiting."

…

"Come in!" called Joyce, getting up and walking to the door. It opened and she grinned in delight, gathering up her daughter in a giant hug while Max stayed back, allowing the two some space. "Chloe!" cried Joyce, tears of happiness flowing easily down her cheeks and Chloe reciprocated, crying for the third time in less than 30 minutes. "How are you, my darling?"

"I'm okay, mom," she said. "I've been better, but I'm okay." Joyce let her go and turned her attention to Max, gathering her up in a hug as well. Max gasped as the air was forced out of her. Chloe approached her step-father, and stood awkwardly in front of him.

"David."

"Chloe."

The pair stood like that, awkwardly facing each other, not knowing what to say for several moments, until Joyce cleared her throat.

"Guys, we're going to get y'all some coffee. Come on, Max." Without waiting for a response, she led Max out of the hospital room, leaving the two alone. They stared at each other again, and finally David cleared his throat.

"Look…"

"Davi…" said Chloe, at the same time, and they both stopped talking. Chloe giggled nervously as her step-father smiled.

"You first," he said.

"No, you," insisted the punk, and David nodded.

"How are you?" he asked, and Chloe smiled, a little hesitantly.

"I've been better," she said. "But Max is helping me through it all."

"Good, good," said David. "She seems to have her head screwed on right, that one."

"Damn right," said Chloe. "You?"

"I've been better as well," said David, smiling, then grimacing as pain shot through his body. "Doctor says I'll be okay in time, though. Although, I gotta say, it hurts like a good 'un."

"David, I…" Chloe began to speak, but found that her throat was closing itself, choking her half-formed words.

"It's okay, Chloe, don't be afraid," said David.

"It's… difficult," admitted the girl, and David nodded.

"Tell you what," he said. "Consider this a clean room. You can say anything, tell me anything, call me anything in here, and it will go no further." Chloe thought about that and finally nodded.

"David, I…" She stopped again, but forced herself to continue. "Thanks."

"You're welcome, Chloe," he said.

"No, I mean it," she said, gaining in confidence. "I mean, for the longest time, I've hated you. I didn't want you in my life, I didn't want to give you a chance. I… I wasn't a good step-daughter."

"Chloe, we talked about this before, you…"

"No, let me say it, please. While we're in here, and I have the courage. Dad had recently died, my best friend had moved away, I wasn't in a good place. You came along and… well, I hated what you represented. Moving on, getting on with life. I didn't want that, and so I never gave you a chance. I…" She choked up again, but took a deep breath. "I was wrong, David. I'm… I'm sorry."

"Chloe, it's…"

"I'm so sorry, David." Chloe started to cry. "And after everything that's happened, you saved my life yesterday! I mean, how can you justify that?"

"You're my step-… you're my daughter, Chloe," said David. He motioned to her and she drew near, accepting his offer of an embrace. "I know you've been a… well, a brat is one way of saying it, but that doesn't mean I don't love you." He cleared his throat. "As we're being honest, there have been times where I really haven't liked you, but I've always loved you, and yesterday I knew what I had to do."

"But you took a bullet for me!"

"It's my job to protect you, Chloe. Whether that's from a bullet, a bully or just from yourself, it's my job. I'm just glad I was there to help."

Chloe shook her head. "But that's…" She sighed. "Thanks, David." She leaned into his embrace and he grimaced.

"Um, Chloe, not there, please. Still hurts."

"Shit, sorry," she said, breaking into a small grin and looking at the bandage. "Does it hurt that bad?" She grinned more and slapped her forehead. "Stupid question."

"Yeah. Being shot _always_ hurts."

"Wait… has this happened before?"

"Chloe, I can't… yes, I've been shot before." He closed his eyes from the pain, but opened them quickly. "I can't go into details, but yes. And it hurt that time, too." He paused. "I see you got out safely, and with Max and Victoria too."

"Yeah," said Chloe. "Thanks for your help. And support. And… you know."

"Don't mention it," he said. "Can you tell me what happened?"

…

"… and so we've decided he's a piece of shit. I am disinclined to acquiesce to his request."

"Acquiesce? Chloe, how do you even…"

She grinned. "Heard it in a movie somewhere. Can't remember where."

"Well, it seems like you've thought about it thoroughly."

"I had help, David. Max, Victoria and Kate."

"Good. But be careful, okay? I've heard all about Sean Prescott. He's not someone to mess with, apparently."

"Don't worry about me, David," said Chloe. "I'm not going off to do anything stupid. Not any more. I just want to enjoy spending time with Max. And my family."

"Sounds good. Just… watch your back, yeah?"

"Roger that, sir," said Chloe, snapping a quick salute, and earning herself a laugh from David (followed by another grimace). Just then, the door opened and Joyce and Max entered. They smiled at seeing the two previous enemies talking normally, and the expression on Joyce's face was nothing short of joy. Max set the drinks down and the four talked around various topics for the next quarter of an hour, before Max could see that Chloe was ready to leave. She took her hand and Chloe allowed herself to be led back outside.

"I'm proud of you," murmured Max as they left the hospital and headed back towards the truck.

"Me too," said Chloe. "I mean, I never dreamed I'd have a civil conversation with step-shi… I mean, my step-father." She grimaced. "Old habits. That's gonna take some getting used to." She walked a few more steps, then stopped. "So what now, SuperMax?"

"Don't feel like doing much, said Max. "Just go back to mine and chill?"

"Chill?" asked Chloe, smirking, and Max blushed.

"Okay," she admitted. "Cuddle."

"Deal," said Chloe, grinning. They took a few more steps then Chloe stopped, her face frozen in horror. "Oh shit," she said. Max frowned, then saw what Chloe had seen.

It was Nathan. He was leaning up against their truck, smiling and waving at them.

"Fuck!" swore Max, her blood turning to ice. "How the f…" Nathan began walking towards them, and Chloe turned, pulling Max around with her.

"Let's just get back ins…"

"Hello girls," said Mark Jefferson, smiling. He was wearing a long coat with wide sleeves, and Max could immediately see the barrel of the gun in his right hand, mostly hidden by the sleeve. "Would you kindly come with us, please? I think we have one or two things to discuss."

"I've nothing to say to you," spat Chloe, pulling on Max. "Come on Max, we'll be…"

"I'm afraid not," said Jefferson, motioning to the girls with his gun. "You see, you are going to come with us." He nodded as Nathan joined them, taking their phones from them. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to… insist on it."


	40. 39 Winners & Losers

"So, I believe congratulations are in order, Miss Chase."

"I'm sorry, sir, what?" Victoria Chase was brought back to reality by that statement. She was only half listening to Principal Wells, sat in his office as the morning sun shone through the window. She'd been summoned to his office while eating breakfast with Courtney and Taylor, running through the plans of the day. It had taken a little convincing, but her plan for the End of the World party was now greenlit, and she'd already gained the support of the principal. She only grudgingly admitted it, but Chloe had certainly had a flash of brilliance. However, with the events of the previous day, and the toll it had obviously taken on Chloe (despite her attempts to hide it), she'd taken on the bulk of the work herself. It had taken Kate a little longer to persuade that the plan had potential, especially considering the new location of the party, but she was now on board, and Victoria found herself distracted as she thought through her options (and praising the bravery of her new Christian friend).

"I said, congratulations are in order, Miss Chase," said the Principal. He was sat in his comfortable chair (well, comfortable according to Chloe), leaning his chin on his fingertips, his elbows on his desk.

"Um, yes sir," said Victoria. "I'm sorry, I'm not quite following. Congratulations for what?"

"You won," he said. "You won the Everyday Heroes contest."

 _Oh right, the contest. Fuck, I'd forgotten all about that. Oh well, I suppose Mother will be pleased._

She managed a wan smile. "Thank you, Principal Wells. To be honest, I'd…"

"I know, Miss Chase," said Wells, warmly. "I know the last few days have been… eventful, to say the least, which is why I thought I'd let you know this way. I've been in contact with the Zeitgeist gallery in San Francisco, and they've agreed to postpone your trip there until next week. The exhibition is on all week, so they'll host another get-together later next week for you. We all thought that, given this week, the last thing you'd want to do is celebrate."

 _Wow, he actually thought something through for once!_

"Yeah, thank you sir. You're right, I don't exactly feel like celebrating right now. After what happened…"

"I hired him," said Wells, his head dropping. "I hired him, I exhibited his work around campus, and lauded him to the local media. I gave him free run of the school. I _trusted_ him, dammit! I had no idea…"

 _Really? You had no idea of what was going on? I mean, okay, I guess I'll give you that much, nobody knew about Jefferson, but there was other shit going down that you just completely ignored. Like Nathan drugging Kate, Rachel going missing, that sort of thing. And the bullying that was… well, me. You never once called me out on that, did you, you spineless cup of monkey spewtum?_

"Nobody had any idea," said Victoria, shaking her head, sadly. "It's just a shame that so many people had to get hurt before anything was done."

"We're agreed on that," said Wells. "I'm just glad that Blackwell was able to rise to the occasion and do the right thing. We were responsible for bringing him to justice."

 _Seriously? You're actually going to take credit for this?_

"The Head of Security, a current student and a former student, yes."

"Former maybe, but here at Blackwell, you're always a part of us, even after you leave."

 _You piece of shit! There's no way you're taking credit for the fucking heroics of others…_

"Have you heard any news about Mr Madsen, sir?" asked Victoria, swallowing down some bile that had risen.

Wells looked up, then shook his head. "Nothing yet. I need to find out." He scribbled a quick note on a notepad in front of him. "Thanks for reminding me." He took a breath. "Right, this trip next week. You'll understand, of course, that Mark Jefferson won't be accompanying you…"

 _Are you actually listening to yourself speak?_

"… so I'll accompany you, okay? We'll fly down to San Francisco, I'm not exactly sure what day yet but it's likely to be mid-week, and attend the exhibition. The Gallery has said they'll accommodate us as part of the closing celebrations, and they'll ensure there's a few journalists there to talk to you." He nodded. "This could really kickstart your career, Miss Chase."

"Yes, it's… thank you, Principal Wells."

 _Please, let me out of this room. It's… suffocating me._

"Now, to other things. I've received your request about the End of the World party. You really think that moving the date and venue is the correct decision? I mean, given the circumstances, shouldn't it be cancelled completely?"

"I _did_ consider that," said Victoria, choosing her words carefully, "but I honestly feel that we, as a school, need to move on from the events of this week. Put them to bed, as it were, and not get bogged down, or start wallowing in our own self-pity. No, it's important that the students know it's only a blip in the history of such a fine institution. We must go on, and we must do so in style."

 _God, I'm spouting the bullshit now…_

"And you're sure about the change of location. It seems quite morbid to me…"

"Not at all. The theme is the End of the World, sir, so what better place? It will also exorcise any demons that the place may have about it. Again, rather than wallowing in sombre memories, it's important that we own our emotions and create new, happy memories of the place."

"But the police…"

"… have finished with the place," said Victoria. "I checked. They're happy for it to go ahead there, as am I. My mini… I mean, Taylor and Courtney are already redecorating, we'll take care of everything, don't you worry. Just leave it all to us."

"I suppose I can do that," said Wells, nodding.

 _Of course you can, you're getting paid very well to agree to it._

 _Sigh._

 _Oh god, did I actually just think 'sigh'?_

"Will there be anything else, sir?" asked Victoria, preparing to stand.

"No, that'll be all, Miss Chase. Thank you for coming to see me."

"Not a problem, sir."

"And once again, congratulations."

"Thank you, sir." Victoria rose and left the office, nodding to the secretary as she walked past. Once in the main corridor, she looked around quickly and left the building, heading straight to the fountain. There, she found an empty seat and sat down, leaning back and closing her eyes, letting the autumn sun warm her face.

 _Okay, that's that over and done with. So I won the contest. Hoo-fucking-ray._

 _You know, a few days ago, I would have been totally ecstatic to win, but now… there are more important things to worry about. Plus, Max didn't enter._

 _I wonder, did she win last week? I mean, 'her' last week? Did she enter?_

 _Well, Mother will be pleased. And I get to spend the day with Ray Wells. Oh joy. Oh rapture._

She pulled her phone out and turned it back on (everyone was required to turn off their phones in the principal's office) to find a couple of missed calls. She didn't recognise the number, so she swiped past them. At that moment, a text arrived from Kate.

 _[Kate]: You there?_

 _[Victoria]: Yeah._

 _[Kate]: Where are you?_

 _[Victoria]: By the fountain. Why?_

 _[Kate]: Don't go anywhere. Seriously. I'm coming to you._

 _[Victoria]: Kate? What's going on?_

But there was no response from Kate, and Victoria just felt her stomach drop. She knew that whatever Kate had to tell her, it wasn't good news. But thankfully, she didn't have long to wait. She soon saw Kate running along the path from the dorms towards her. Her hair was down and messy, and her face was red and puffy; it was obvious she'd been crying, and as soon as she arrived, she collapsed on to the seat where Victoria was. Instinctively, Victoria pulled her close.

"My god, Kate, what's going on?"

"Don't you know?" she said, her breath heaving. "Haven't you heard? Daniels said he'd tried to contact you, but your phone was off!"

 _The missed calls…_

"Yeah, I was summoned to see Wells. Had to turn it off. What's going on?"

"It's Nathan," she said. "He's free."

"What?"

"And Jefferson, too. They're both free, Tori."

" _What?_ "

"And I can't contact Max or Chloe!" Kate was crying again now, and Victoria felt her own emotions beginning to bubble.

"What the fuck?" she hissed. "They're… how? What happened?"

…

"What do I want?" Mark Jefferson laughed. He was back laying on his bed, hands behind his head. "I'd think it was perfectly _obvious_ what I want."

"Then tell me."

"I want out of here."

Gray threw his head back and laughed. "Not gonna happen." He continued laughing. "After the shit you pulled? They'll throw the book at you. Nothing I can do about it."

"Bullshit," said Jefferson, "I know you, I know all about you, Gray. Remember, I was in contact with Sean. I know things."

"Really?" Gray stepped forward. "Thing is, you were into some sick shit, Jefferson. A parking ticket, DUI, hell even a hit and run, _that_ I can deal with. But kidnapping, assault, drug abuse, that perverted sick shit you were into, that's way beyond anything I can help you with."

"And yet, you want my help." Jefferson laughed, a short bark of a laugh. "You're not exactly winning me over here, are you?"

"Not my job to win you over."

"So why _are_ you here?"

"To get your help," admitted Gray.

"I see." Jefferson remained unmoving. "Then it would seem we are at an impasse."

"Look, Jefferson, I need your… cooperation," said Gray. "What will it cost?"

"I told you."

"You want out."

"Got it in one."

"But that can't happen."

"No freedom, no cooperation. Sorry."

"See, the thing I don't get," started Gray, "is why you'd want freedom."

"Really? You want to swap places with me?" laughed the prisoner. "You'll figure out pretty quickly why I want…"

"Are you scared?" asked Gray, suddenly, realisation flashing through his head.

"Of course not!"

"You are," he repeated, slowly. "You're scared of… going to prison." He smiled, slowly. "You're scared of what will happen to you in there." He looked around, found a chair and sat down, his smile getting wider. "Well, I'd say the scales just equalled out, wouldn't you?"

"Shut up!"

"You've never been to prison before, have you? Of course you haven't. You've always managed to get away with your sick little games. Somehow, I don't think you only just started this shit," said Gray. He was warming to the task, and he could see that Jefferson was becoming steadily more uncomfortable. "I think you've been doing it a while. If we look back into your history, uh, you were in… Seattle, was it? I think we'll find out quite a bit about you, won't we? And when you go to prison, and you will, people will know who you are. They'll also know why you're there. They'll know _all_ about you." He rose, and began pacing around. "It's a funny thing about prisoners. It doesn't matter who they are or what they've done, they'll all band together. Like a brotherhood. Apart from the gangs," he conceded, nodding. "But that doesn't apply to people like you. Even the gangs come together when it comes to people like you." He stopped pacing and approached the bars, gripping them tightly. "See, they don't really like people like you. They don't like you a whole bunch. They figure that if you like to interfere with kids, you'll want them to interfere with you. And they aren't gentle. Oh no, mister, they are definitely not gentle."

"Gray…"

"That's something to look forward to, isn't it? Oh, and when they pay the guards to look the other way, or maybe even open your cell in the middle of the night. Don't forget to sleep light." He shrugged. "So, it's something to look forward to. But, if you want to help me, I could…"

"… get me out of here?"

"Sorry, Jefferson, no dice," smiled Gray, knowing he'd won. "I can make things easier for you, but I can't look the other way."

"What do you want?"

"Simple. Nathan to be kept out of this."

"How?"

"No idea. Yet. Tell you what, have a think about it. See what you can come up with." He made to leave, but stopped and looked over his shoulder. "I'll be back in an hour. Hopefully we can agree on something then." The door slammed shut behind him, leaving Jefferson, still laid on the bed, but now, in a cold sweat.

…

"Fucking answer, come on, dammit!" Victoria jabbed her phone to end her current call, unanswered, just like the others. She looked across to Kate. "No luck here. You?"

"Nothing." Kate seemed close to tears; her bottom lip had begun trembling. "Tori, I can't get hold of Max."

"Yeah. Chloe's out of contact, too," said Victoria, trying to disguise her rising panic. She rang the phone once more, and this time it was answered.

"Tori?"

"Taylor."

"Everything okay?"

"Well…" Victoria paused, then decided on the truth. Or at least, part of the truth. "Not really, but it'll be fine. Look, are you and Courtney okay with all this? I'm gonna have to leave most of this to you for the moment."

"Tori?"

"Look, please don't read anything into this, Taylor," she said, "I know I've been a bitch to you in the past, but I thought we'd turned a corner…"

"… we have, Tori, but…"

"… so I just need you to trust me on this, okay? Can I leave it to the pair of you for the moment?"

Taylor paused. "Sure, Tori, you can count on us," she said, and Victoria audibly sighed.

"Thanks, Taylor," she said. "Just… thanks."

"Go on, leave it to us. Go do… whatever it is you need to do." Taylor hung up, and Victoria looked at Kate, raising her eyebrows, but Kate just shook her head sadly.

"I… don't know what to do," said Victoria, tears welling in her eyes. She raised her hands to her face, but Kate cleared her throat.

"Are you okay to drive?" she said, and Victoria looked at her.

"I… yeah, I think so. Why?"

"Then get us to the hospital. Lickety-split," said Kate, giggling slightly. "I've always wanted to say that." She unlocked her phone and dialled. The call was answered almost straight away. "Officer Daniels? Hold on." She put her hand over the phone and looked at Victoria. "Come on," she said, and Victoria nodded. They began walking to the car. "Officer Daniels, we can't contact Max or Chloe. I need you to tell me everything you know, and meet us at the hospital, okay?"

"I'm on my way," said the voice on the other end of the phone.

…

"Time's up, Jefferson," said Gray, re-entering the cell area. He saw at once that Jefferson had hardly moved. He was still on his bed, hands behind his head, neutral expression on his face, but his eyes were following Gray like a hawk. "What's your decision? Help me, or start a new life as a mobile sex doll?"

"Gosh, you put things so eloquently," said Jefferson. "Whatever will I choose?" He remained on the bed, unmoving as Gray approached the bars. "I don't have much of an option, do I?"

"Nope."

"What do you want from me?"

"I told you, Nathan is to be freed."

Jefferson raised his head slightly to look at Gray with a bored expression. "I know that. You said that earlier. Really," he muttered to himself, "how did he ever…"

"So what do you want to know?"

"More details. Sean has obviously had a talk with you."

"He…" Gray was reluctant to divulge any details, but he knew he needed to give Jefferson something to work with. "He was quite clear that Nathan was not to be in a cell tonight."

"I see." Jefferson moved his head slightly so he could see outside. "It's already dark. Seems you don't have much time left, do you? So, how is he to be freed?"

"He didn't say."

"Ah, so it's up to you. Or me. I guess you're expecting me to take the blame, you'll appeal to my good nature and set a deal. I take the responsibility, say that Nathan had nothing to do with it, it was all me, and I get a nice cushy cell somewhere away from the big nasty men with pitchforks?"

"Something like that," said Gray.

"I see. Creativity has never been your strong point, has it?" he sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. "So, let me guess, you have a pre-prepared statement that I'm supposed to sign, and then trust you'll keep your word." Gray nodded, and Jefferson smiled. "Not gonna happen, Gray. See, I don't trust anyone that isn't me."

"You're refusing to help?"

"Not at all," said Jefferson. "I just don't trust that you'll keep your word once you have what Sean wants." He stood up. "This has to happen tonight, yes?"

"Yes."

"So we're on the clock. You need to give me something I can believe," he said. "I'm not giving you anything for nothing. You have to know that."

"I don't suppose my word would…"

"Nope," said Jefferson. "Don't trust you. Don't trust your word." He thought for a moment. "Get me on the phone with him."

"What?"

"You heard. I want to speak to Sean personally. Work out a deal with him."

"How is that gonna help?"

"Because you're a lackey. You have no authority. He does." Jefferson stared at Gray. "Make it happen. Him and me. Cellphone. In here."

"I can't leave you alone with a cellphone," started Gray, but Jefferson cut him off, waving his hand. "Not a problem, Gray. You can sit in with me. Just make it happen."

"I'll see what I can do."

…

Gray sat, watching as Jefferson, cellphone stuck to his ear, talked to Sean Prescott. Gray had rung him with some trepidation, but to his surprise, Sean was more than happy to talk to the sick fuck. If he was honest, the whole thing stank. He'd been telling the truth when he said he was happy to look the other way for most of the Prescott brat's foibles, the drug taking (and dealing), the assaults, the breaking and entering. That sort of shit was small-time and didn't really hurt anyone. But this… this was in a different league. He'd shot a man, for god's sake!

"So we're agreed," said Jefferson. He was sat on a chair in the interrogation room, his back to Gray. "Yes, Sean, I'm happy with that arrangement." He nodded once, then fell silent, listening to Sean speak. Finally, he spoke once more. "Good. I'll make sure that happens. Thank you." He ended the call and stood up. "It's done," he said, turning to face Gray. "Now what?"

"Now you go back to your cell," said Gray, holding his hand out for the cellphone. "I'll need that back, please."

"Of course," said Jefferson, holding it out.

Later on, when Gray looked back on this moment, he could have kicked himself for falling for one of the oldest tricks in the book.

It all happened in a flash. Jefferson held the phone out to him, but as he went to take it, it slipped out of Jefferson's grasp. Gray's eyes automatically followed the phone as it dropped towards the hard concrete floor, and he instinctively reached down to try and catch it. At the same time, he noticed, too late, Jefferson's boot swinging, catching him clean in the face. It was the last thing he did notice as it connected, sending him slumped to the floor, unconscious. Jefferson allowed himself a small smile, as he quickly swapped clothes with Gray, taking his gun, phone, keys and wallet, but leaving his badge. As it was the middle of the night, it was a simple task to free Nathan and slip quietly outside.

Once outside, he relaxed slightly and looked at Nathan, who was looking at him with wide eyes.

"I said I'd look after you, didn't I?" he said, and Nathan nodded, still in awe.

"Th… thank you," he managed to say, although his teeth were chattering so hard he could hardly speak.

"Let's get you out of the cold," said Jefferson. "I've arranged a bed for the night and some…" he looked down at the ill-fitting uniform, "more comfortable clothes. Then, tomorrow…"

"Yes?"

"We've some loose ends to tie up, my boy," he said.


	41. 40 What Next?

"Are you telling me that a sick freak and a murderer are loose, and they may have abducted my daughter?" David Madsen was almost apoplectic with rage. Joyce had to physically restrain him from climbing out of the hospital bed there and then, while Ben Daniels stood, sheepishly trying to melt into the background. It wasn't working.

"Basically, yes, I'm sorry," he said, shuffling his feet around.

"Sorry? _Sorry?_ You're sorry? Oh well, that's okay then, isn't it? The policeman is sorry he let a murderer abduct our daughter, and he's sorry. Well, f…"

"Hush now, dear," said Joyce, "I'm sure that it wasn't Officer Daniels' fault. Ssh, just sit… David Madsen, don't you _dare_ get out of bed. I'm warning you… that's better. Now, just sit still and Officer Daniels will tell us what he knows. You do realise that Victoria and Kate are waiting outside, don't you? This isn't helping Chloe, and God knows I'm as worried as you are, David," she said, "but this sort of behaviour isn't helping anyone." She looked up at Daniels and smiled, but it was a sad smile, full of worry and concern.

"Yes ma'am," said Daniels, in answer to the unspoken question. "We don't know exactly what happened, except that at some point last night, Mark Jefferson escaped from custody. He attacked another officer, freed Nathan Prescott and the two of them are now fugitives." He shifted his stance awkwardly as he considered his next words. "That much we know. In addition, Miss Chase and Miss Marsh have informed me that Miss Price and Miss Caulfield are currently non-contactable. I have also tried to contact them without success, in fact it was the first thing I did after learning what happened, and we've recently found their truck parked in this hospital parking lot." He dropped his gaze. "It is possible that they have been abducted. And with what you've said, about seeing them here this morning, that fits. It seems they were on their way back to their truck, but didn't get there."

"And?"

"And… that's all I've got for you, I'm afraid," said Daniels. He was still shuffling his feet around, but David had no intention of letting him off the hook that easily.

"And… what are you doing about it?" he asked.

"Well, we're out looking for them," said Daniels.

"Who?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, are you looking for the sick freak, or are you looking for my daughter?"

"Well, you find one, you find…"

"You don't _know_ that!" said David, sitting up, and being pushed back down again by his wife. "So who are you looking for?"

"Jefferson," admitted Daniels. "We don't know for sure that Max and Chloe are…"

"Then I guess you'd better get out looking for them, yes?" said David. "You look for Chloe, and you look for Max. If you find Jefferson, you put a…"

"Mr Madson, please," interrupted Daniels. "I respect you, and I like you. Hell, you're a hero in my book for what you did for Chloe, Max and Victoria. But if you continue that sentence, I'll hear something I don't want to hear. Get me?"

Daniels' sentence and a glare from Joyce shut David up. He just glared at the officer, then spoke, slowly and carefully. "I need you to find my daughter," he said, "and her girlfriend. Can you do that?"

To his credit, Daniels looked awkward. "I'm not sure it's that simple," he said. "I mean, yes, _I'm_ going to look for the two of them, you have my word on that, but as for the rest of the force, well, Max and Chloe haven't been reported missing and even if they are, nothing will be done for a day or so. I'm sorry, but an escaped fugitive is taking up all our time at the moment."

"That's not good enough," growled David, despite a warning from his wife.

"It'll have to be," said Daniels, then his face softened. "Look, I know it's not good enough. I know the system sucks, but I also know how it works. Now, I'll be out looking for them, and I'm going to ask Miss Chase and Miss Marsh for their help…" He stopped as both Joyce and David began to protest, but held his hand up before continuing. "I'm going to ask for their help, providing they take no risks and put themselves in absolutely no danger. They know the girls best, so they might know something. That way, there are three people out there looking…"

"Four," said Joyce. "I'm not standing around waiting, either. No, David, you are _not_ to search. I know you better than you know yourself. You are going to promise me _right now_ that you won't leave this bed, or so help you I'll file for divorce." She softened. "I know you want to help, hell, I know you're probably desperate to help, but I want you healthy, okay? You can't go anywhere in your condition, so I want you to stay here and coordinate things."

"But…"

"No buts, David. Promise me. Divorce, remember?" Joyce's eyes flashed dangerously, and David nodded, albeit reluctantly.

"Okay, I promise," he said. "I'll stay here. But you _have to keep me informed_."

"Of course, hon," she said. "Just keep your phone on." She stood up and motioned to Daniels. "Come on, let's go," she said, "you can tell me more on the way. We need to find out what happened to Chloe and Max."

…

"Hello girls," said Mark Jefferson, smiling. He was wearing a long coat with wide sleeves, and Max could immediately see the barrel of the gun in his right hand, mostly hidden by the sleeve. "Would you kindly come with us, please? I think we have one or two things to discuss."

"I've nothing to say to you," spat Chloe, pulling on Max. "Come on Max, we'll be…"

"I'm afraid not," said Jefferson, motioning to the girls with his gun. "You see, you are going to come with us." He nodded as Nathan joined them, taking their phones from them. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to… insist on it." He motioned once again to Nathan as Max began to raise her right hand, and Nathan grabbed it, twisting it painfully behind her back. Chloe spun as Max cried out, her fist raised to strike Nathan, but Jefferson's barked command stopped her. That, and the gun pressing none-too-gently into the side of her head.

"None of that, thank you," said Jefferson. He motioned Chloe forward as Nathan frog-marched Max, her arm still twisted behind her back, forward to their car, a dark SUV parked next to Chloe's truck.

"Where are you taking us, you freak?" spat Chloe, earning a painful prod to her temple from the gun.

"Patience, my child," said Jefferson, "didn't your mother ever teach you patience?" He smiled. "You'll find out when you get there." He pushed both girls into the back of the SUV, where a quick blow to the head brought swift darkness upon each girl.

…

"Max?"

Max groaned.

"Max? You there?"

Max opened her eyes and grimaced as her head began throbbing. Actually, it was probably already throbbing; she just hadn't realised up to now. But yeah, it was definitely going for it like it only had a minute to live.

"Max?"

Chloe's urgent whisper brought Max slowly back to the land of the living. She groaned again, trying to keep her head still, like that would help.

"One sec, Chloe," she said, noting how difficult it was to speak. She opened her eyes again and took a look around.

It didn't take long. She couldn't see anything at all. Even if she squinted, the suffocating darkness just enveloped the whole area. She was inside rather than outside, she could tell that much, but exactly where was anybody's guess.

"Max!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm here," she said. "Keep your hair on."

"Oh thank fuck, Max!" said Chloe, and Max could hear the relief in her voice. "I've been calling you for ages now. I thought… I thought that you'd…"

"I'm okay, Chloe," she said. "Well, okay is relative, obviously, but I'm awake. Where are we? I can't see anything."

"No idea," said Chloe. Her voice was coming from Max's left side, and seemed reasonably close, although not close enough to be in view. "I can't see anything either."

"How long have we been…"

"I woke up about ten minutes ago, I think. Seems like it was a lot longer, but you know… Wherever we are, we're alone at the moment. I know that much."

"My eyes haven't adjusted to the darkness yet. Can you make anything out?"

"Not really," said Chloe. "But there seems to be some sort of an echo or something to my voice."

"Reverb, Chloe, it's called reverb."

"Max, now isn't the time to get all nerdy on me, okay?" said Chloe, her voice wavering a bit. "So we're in some sort of a room with metal, or stone walls or something similar, I reckon." She paused. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm not bad," said Max. "Head hurts, but otherwise I'm in one piece. You?"

"Same." She paused again. "Max?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you rewind?"

Max shook her head, then realised that Chloe couldn't see it. "No," she said, "he knew so he's made sure to tie my hands really tight. Plus, now we're here, wherever 'here' actually is, I can only rewind back a minute or so, so it wouldn't make a difference."

"Max?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm scared." Chloe's voice was small and quiet, her vulnerable side showing.

"Me too," admitted Max. "But we're together, yeah? That's the main thing. We'll get through this together, right?"

"Together, Max," repeated Chloe, and Max could swear she heard Chloe grin. "Where we belong."

"Yeah," said Max, sighing. "Okay, enough small talk," she said, and Chloe giggled in spite of her fear. "We need to figure out a few things. Any idea of the time?"

"Why?"

"Because it's Friday," said Max, "and on Friday…"

"The storm!" said Chloe, realising. "What time was the storm last week?"

"I'm…" Suddenly, Max realised the truth. "I'm not sure," she said.

 _Shit. What time? It was dark when I drove the… no, wait, it would have been dark anyway with the storm. The only other time I was… in the gallery, but that was…_

"Early evening, I think," she said, "but I'm not a hundred percent on it."

"Early evening, okay." Chloe fell silent for a moment. "I can't hear a storm outside, can you?"

"No, but we might not be close to an outside, Chloe," said Max. "We could be…"

"Look, I'm pretty sure the walls are stone. That suggests some sort of outside wall. No storm."

"Okay, that's good. So we've still got some time."

"Look, Max, there's something you need to know," said Chloe. "About the storm."

"Go on."

"I had an idea yesterday, and Victoria's implementing it, hopefully right now," she said. "The Dark Room is basically a bomb shelter, right?"

"Yes," said Max, carefully.

 _Where's she going with this?_

"So Tori's moved the school party to tonight. In the Dark Room."

"You've… are you _crazy?_ "

"What?"

"You're putting people down there? In the… in the…" Max faltered, but Chloe stepped in.

"Max, listen. She's doing it up with her minions. I think Kate's helping her too. It'll be transformed. It won't be a… you know." She paused. "But I already thought about you, I thought perhaps you wouldn't want to go back there, so I kind of arranged something else for us."

"Us?"

"Yeah. Like, you and me?"

Max giggled a little. "I know what us means, numbnuts. What about it?"

"You said the lighthouse was safe, I thought we'd go there and ride out the storm."

"The rest of the people? Joyce? David?"

"Don't worry. I kind of convinced my mom to close up shop. She'll make sure David's fine. Max, don't worry about it, okay?" There was something about Chloe's voice that Max found reassuring. "You've done so much worrying, but you don't have to now. See, I'm here for you, and I can help share the burden. So let me do some of the worrying, okay? I… I love you, Max."

Tears came unbidden to Max's eyes and she blinked them away. "I know, Chloe, and I… dammit! Look, it's sweet of you to try and… but you can't…"

"Max, don't tell me what I can and can't do, okay? I love you." Chloe took a deep breath. "I love you Max, and I _will_ support you, whether you want me to or not. That's what girlfriends do for their… um, girlfriends, okay? Just let me do this for you, please?" In spite of herself, Max found her resolve weakening, and to herself, she realised she was actually smiling.

"Okay, Chloe," she said. "I'm sorry, I guess I'm just not used to being able to rely on anyone. I'm… I'll… it'll be nice." She paused. "Thanks."

"You're welcome, Max," said Chloe. "Now, if you can just rustle us up a way out of here, that would be peachy."

"I'll see what I can do." The two girls fell silent for a few minutes, before Chloe's voice once again penetrated the darkness. Max's eyes had adjusted to the lack of light, but even though she could make out a little more than before, the darkness was still suffocatingly black, like the hand currently gripped around her heart.

"Max?"

"Yeah?"

"You've been through this before, yeah?"

"Chloe, you know I have. Twice."

"Yeah, I know." Chloe's voice dropped out, but then returned. "How did you get through it? I'm… Max, I'm scared. I thought we were beyond all this, I thought we could just enjoy being together, you know?"

"Yeah, I know, Chloe," said Max, trying to drum up every ounce of strength she could to support her girlfriend. "It's… not fair, I know. But it's the hand we've been dealt." She looked across to where Chloe's voice was coming from, and could just about make out her girlfriend's form. "You wanna know how I did it, how I got through it last time? Well, I did it by thinking about you. In my mind, you talked to me, gave me pep talks, kept my hope alive, that sort of thing. When Jefferson was… when he was… when he did… I was able to close my eyes and see you. You were there, telling me how you felt, how much you wanted to see me again. It was your voice, your voice and your face in the night that gave me the strength I needed." When Chloe didn't answer immediately, Max knew why. She could make out Chloe's shoulders shaking and gave her the space she needed to pull herself together.

"But I'm here now," said Chloe, finally. "How's that going to work?"

"Easy," said Max. "I don't have to imagine you talking to me now, do I?" She smiled, although she knew Chloe couldn't see that. "You're here for me, and I'm here for you. We'll get ourselves out of this, then we can do what we've dreamed of."

"That sounds good," said Chloe, then she continued brightly. "What do you want to do first?"

"What do you mean?"

"Once this is all over, and we can finally go on a date, what do you want to do?"

"You'd take me on a date?" Max couldn't help grinning.

"Like, duh! We're dating, aren't we? So, come on, let's make plans."

"Chloe, are you sure this is the right…"

"Max, what else are we gonna do? Mope the fuck around? So come on, where would you like me to take you on our first date?"

"I'm not sure, really," said Max, thinking quickly. "I mean, a nice restaurant would be nice, but really, I just want to spend time with you, Chloe. You know, really spend time with you. Get to know you, that sort of thing. I think it'd be… what?" Chloe had _shushed_ her and she stopped talking.

"Listen," said Chloe, and Max heart sped up.

"What?" she said. "I can't hear anything."

"The wind outside," said Chloe, and Max heard what Chloe could hear. A soft _whooshing_ could be heard from somewhere beyond the stone walls.

"It's the storm," said Max, "it's starting."


	42. 41 Making Plans

"So where else could they have gone?" Victoria sat on her bed with a steaming cup of camomile tea in her hand. Across from her, with a large sketchpad open on her knees sat Kate, sipping an identical cup. The pad was covered in roughly written notes and ideas, most of them crossed out with rough, untidy lines.

"Tori, we know where they…"

"No we don't," said Victoria. "Look, it's possible that Nathan and… have got them both, but surely Max would have been able to rewind out of that."

"You think?" asked Kate. She wrote a couple more notes on the sketchpad, her hand trembling slightly as she did so, then sighed and crossed them out again. "I mean, wouldn't they have got in touch with us already?"

Victoria sighed. "Not really, Kate," she said, shaking her head. "I guess I'm just in denial about all of this. Especially after… well, after what happened on Wednesday. And to think of Max and Chloe with… you know, it just doesn't bear thinking about."

"I know. It's hard, Tori," said Kate, taking another sip from her cup and smiling gently, "but we have to face up to it, don't we? Burying our heads in the sand isn't going to help anybody here, is it? Officer Daniels asked us to help because, apart from him and Joyce, no-one else is looking for them. I mean, I know they're out looking for Nathan and Jefferson, but…"

"I know," said Victoria, taking a sip, then looking down at her cup. "You know, this tea is really good. What did you call it again?"

Kate giggled. "Camomile," she said. "It's supposed to be relaxing."

"It's working, I think," said Victoria, leaning back against the wall. "Okay, so what are the chances that Max and Chloe aren't with… with Jeffershit?"

"Zero. They'd answer their phones, or at least one of them would. I think we can be pretty certain."

"You don't think they may have run away?"

"Not a chance," said Kate. "Max wouldn't do it and Chloe wouldn't leave Joyce. Plus, even if they did, they'd let one of us know, or they'd answer our calls." She shook her head. "No, something's happened to them. Plus," she pointed out, "wouldn't they have taken the truck?"

"True. Okay, so they're in trouble. Now what?"

"Where could they be?"

"Well, I know where they're not. They are _definitely_ not in the Dark Room," said Victoria. "Courtney rang earlier. They've nearly finished decorating the place for the party later."

"I'm still not sure that…"

"Kate, we talked about this," said Victoria. "As much as it's… distasteful, it will keep them safe from the storm, right?"

"Yeah, I know," said Kate, "but I still don't really like it. I mean, I was…"

"Kate, are you… remembering anything?" asked Victoria, carefully. "You know, from when you were…" She trailed off, unable to complete the question, but Kate knew exactly what she was asking.

"Not really," she said, screwing up her face. "I mean, I remember bits and pieces, but nothing concrete. You know, an emotion here, a flash of white light there, but I couldn't tell you anything about the place. I think it's more that… more that the… you know, what it represents more than anything else. I'm not making much sense, am I?"

"No, I know what you mean," said Victoria. "I mean, I know what the place looks like, I guess that may be why I'm a bit better about going there again. But, you know, we don't have to go to the party if you don't feel comfortable. We can find somewhere else to go."

"No, it's okay," said Kate. "We need to hide from the storm, right?" Victoria nodded. "I'll be okay," she continued, shyly, "if you'll be there with me."

"I'll be the perfect… um, gentleman," said Victoria with a smirk, earning herself a giggle from the Christian girl.

"Don't leave me alone in there, please," said Kate, a request to which Victoria immediately agreed.

"I'll be your chaperone, if you want," she said.

"I'd… I'd like that," murmured Kate, smiling nervously. "If… if you don't mind. I don't want to intrude."

"Kate Marsh," said Victoria, slipping off the bed and kneeling in front of the blonde girl, who was playing with the cross around her neck, "it would be my honour and privilege to escort you to, and around, the party. Will you accept my company tonight?"

Kate giggled in spite of her nervousness. "I would," she said, and smiled warmly. "Thanks, Tori." She fiddled with her cross a little more as Victoria sat back down on the bed. "I…" she began, but stopped talking.

"Go on," said Victoria.

"I was just going to say… you've become a good friend to me, Tori. I can't believe how different you are from, well, Monday."

"Kate, look, I…"

"It's okay, Tori, you don't need to say anything," said Kate. "You've already apologised, and we're way past that. I… I just wanted to say thank you. It's not often that miracles happen, but I think it has this week."

"You're such a good person, Kate, I don't deserve to be your friend," murmured Victoria, then pulled herself together and wiped a single tea from her left cheek. "Okay, we need to get back to the matter in hand. So they won't be at the Dark Room. Anywhere else?"

"I'd have thought the obvious place would be the Prescott home, don't you think?" said Kate.

"Yeah, but… they've got to know the police are searching for them. Could they risk hiding there? I doubt Sean would be happy. If he was found harbouring a fugitive, then wouldn't that put him in an awkward position? Well, more than awkward."

"I guess, but I mean, I don't know Mr Prescott at all, but would he really care about that? If he owns the police, as Max said…"

"… she was right…"

"… then the fact he's hiding his son wouldn't really be an issue, right? In fact, it's likely the police wouldn't even look there in the first place."

"Especially if he told them not to," said Victoria, nodding in understanding. "You could be right."

"Yeah. Or, more like, he told them he already looked and they're not there." Victoria thought about Kate's statement and nodded again.

"Good thought," she said, "but there's no way we can get there ourselves." She unlocked her phone and dialled quickly. The call was answered instantly. "Daniels? Yeah, we're okay, thanks. Look, we think they may be in Prescott's place… yeah, I know that, but couldn't he have just told the police not to look there, or that he'd already looked and they weren't there? … I guess, but it can't hurt, right? … Okay, thanks. We'll look at other possibilities." She rang off and looked back at Kate. "He's going to pop up there and take a look around, on the pretext of looking for Nathan." She paused. "You were right, Kate. Nobody was going to look up there."

"I thought so," said Kate. "It just seemed too convenient to me. So what about us? What else can we do?"

"I'm not sure, to be honest," said Victoria. "I mean, what _can_ we do? We're only two people, I mean it's like looking for a… what? What is it?" Kate's face had transformed, and she was looking quite satisfied with herself, the corner of her mouth slowly turning up.

"You're right," she said. "There _are_ only two of us."

"Exactly, so what can we…"

"Why not recruit?"

"What?" Victoria creased her brow.

"There's a load of people here, most of whom know Max, right? Can't we just…"

"… get them involved?" Victoria's face broke into a huge grin. "Kate, that's brilliant! We can send them all out, looking around Arcadia for them, or signs of them." She jumped up. "What are we waiting for? Come on!"

…

"Thanks Dana," said Kate, smiling widely.

"No problem hon," said the cheerleader, sat on her bed with her head in her hands. "And this was down to… Mark Jefferson? Really?"

"I'm sorry, but yes."

"Shit! I mean, we all thought he was… well, you know. And he was doing…" Dana looked at Kate. "Katie, I'm so sorry I ever doubted you. If I'd have, if we'd have known what he'd done to you… him and Nathan, they…"

"It's okay, Dana. I didn't really know what had happened until Max helped me piece it all together."

"Katie, are you okay?" Dana looked so concerned that Kate felt quite warm at that moment. She smiled.

"I will be. Especially once we find Max. She really needs our help. Chloe too."

"I remember Chloe," said Dana. "She was at Blackwell last year, wasn't she? Intelligent. Beautiful hair. A bit… wild? Got herself kicked out?"

"That's her," said Kate.

"She was… hard to forget."

Kate smiled. "Yeah," she said, "but once you get to know her… we have to help her."

"Yeah, I know, you said," said Dana. "You can count on us."

"Thanks, Dana."

"I'll get Juliet right away. We know a few places around town," she said with a wink.

"Cool. But don't forget to get to the party in time, okay?"

"Because of the… storm, right?" Dana looked out of the window. "You sure, Kate? Looks a lovely day at the moment."

"Trust me, Dana. Just please, be at the party."

Dana grinned. "When have you known me to avoid a party?" she said. "I'll be there, and I'll drag Jules along too. Okay if I call Trevor, too?"

"The more the merrier," said Kate, standing. "Thanks again." They both left the room, Dana crossing the corridor and entering Juliet's room without knocking. As she did, the main doors opened and Warren walked in, stopping in front of Brooke's door. Before he knocked, however, he looked around as he heard Kate call him.

"Hi Kate!" he said, joining her outside Dana's room. He smiled his usual signature goofy grin, which disappeared quickly as he saw the look on her face. "Kate? What's wrong?" He quickly closed the distance between them. "Kate?"

"Warren," she began, her lip trembling, "it's Max."

"Max? What about her?" Warren felt his stomach turn, before he realised what he'd said and he looked back at Brooke's door. "Ah, Kate, I'm sorry, but I need to…"

"Max is missing, Warren," blurted Kate. That got his full attention.

"She's…"

"… missing. Yes. Both her and Chloe."

"Chloe? Isn't she the… blue-haired… Max's friend?"

"That's right. They went missing this morning. I'm trying to get a few people together to help us find them. Dana and Juliet are going down to town with Trevor to look now, I was hoping that you'd…" She stopped as Brooke's door opened.

"What's going on?" called Brooke, peering out into the corridor. She wasn't wearing her glasses and was obviously in the middle of drying her hair. "Ah, Warren, I thought I heard you out here. Come on in," she said, and then nodded at Kate. "Kate."

"Brooke, I… we need your help," said Kate. "It's Max. She's gone missing. Her and Chloe. We need to gather as many as we can to try and find her."

"Max is missing?" Any frustration that Kate felt at having to repeat herself was suppressed.

"Yeah. She's missing. She went to visit David Madsen at the hospital this morning with Chloe, and they vanished afterwards. We need to find her. Dana and Juliet are already…"

"Oh, right," said Brooke. "You know, with all the yelling out here, I actually thought it was something important. Good to know it wasn't. Come on, Warren. In you come." She made to go back into her room, but Kate stopped her.

"What are you doing?"

"Excuse me?" Brooke turned back. "I'm going back into my room. My. Room. You have a problem with that, Marsh?"

"Are you going to help?"

"Help who? And with what?"

"Help us to find Max and Chloe." Kate felt like stamping her foot on the ground, but again bit the inside of her cheek instead. "What did you think I meant?"

"Yeah, that's what I thought," said Brooke. "I don't see how it's any of our concern. Warren." She once more turned to go back into her room, but this time Kate couldn't hold back. Warren had edged away and was standing well back, glancing quickly from Kate to Brooke and back again.

"Brooke, are you serious?" said Kate, her lip trembling once more, but this time with a combination of fear and anger. "One of our friends has gone missing and you won't lift a finger to help?"

"Not my friend. Not my problem."

"Brooke…" It was Warren, speaking up for the first time. "Perhaps we should…"

"No, Warren, you be quiet!" snapped his girlfriend. "Just come on in, this doesn't involve you." She stepped aside to let Warren through her door, but he stayed put.

"Actually, I think it does," he said, uncertainly, looking across at Kate. "If Max and Chloe are in trouble, I think we should help them. I'm pretty sure they'd do the same for us."

"Thank you, Warren," said Kate. "We need as many people as we…"

"There is no way you're helping them!" snapped Brooke. "Just do as you're told and come inside!" Both Kate and Warren stared at the Asian girl in astonishment. Beads of sweat were forming on her brow and her face was set like thunder as she motioned for Warren to enter her room, but he hung back, unable to look at either girl.

"What's going on?" Attracted by the raised voice, Victoria hurried down the corridor to find Kate almost in tears, Warren embarrassed and Brooke looking like she'd just finished clubbing baby seals and enjoying it. "Kate? What's going on here? I just spoke to Stella, she's on board with us; she's going to check the park and surrounding area. Warren, Brooke, where will you be going?"

"Tori," started Kate, speaking slowly, "Brooke is refusing to help us, she's also refusing to let Warren help."

"She's what?"

"She says it's not her problem."

Victoria slowly turned towards the dark-haired girl, who instinctively shrank back against the wall. "She said… _what?_ " she asked, her voice dangerously quiet. "Brooke, you are going to help us, right?"

"Victoria?" Brooke stood her ground. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm helping Kate organise a search for Max and Chloe." Brooke's face dropped into a mask of confusion. She looked from Kate to Victoria, and back again.

"You're helping… Victoria? What's happened to you? You hate Kate!"

"No, I don't."

"Yes, you do. You told us all, just last week. You were so pleased with yourself when you released the video, you were…"

"Things change, Brooke," said Victoria. "I know exactly what I did and said, and so does Kate. Once I found out all the facts… I really think you need to reconsider your refusal to help find Max and Chloe."

"I don't think I do," she said, turning her back on the girls and looking at Warren. "Warren, I thought I told you to…"

"Warren, don't move," said Victoria, her eyes flashing dangerously. She took a step towards Brooke, who visibly shrank back further into her doorway. She spoke very slowly and very carefully. "Brooke, I'm telling you that you need to reconsider exactly what it is you're doing. I don't know what the fuck has got into you, or why, and frankly, I don't care, but you need to help search for our friends, who _are_ in trouble. I don't know what Max has done to you, as far as I'm aware, she's done nothing at all except tolerate you, but you need to lighten up and…"

"Warren likes her!" blurted Brooke. "She's a total distraction to him! Even when he's with me, she's all he thinks about!"

"That's not true!" said Warren, finally speaking up. "We talked about this, I mean, I _did_ , you know, but she made it clear that I wasn't exactly her type. You know that. Unless… unless you don't believe me. Or trust me."

"Trust has nothing to do with it!" she snapped. "You prefer her to me! I don't want to be anyone's second choice."

"You're not!" insisted Warren.

"But you keeping talking about her! It's Max this, and Max that!"

"Brooke, she's my friend! Or, she was until you stepped in. Don't you realise it was her prompting that made me come and talk to you?" Warren was getting a head of steam. "All she's done is help you." He took a deep breath. "You know, I put up with your jealously because I really like you, and I really like being around you, but this is too much. If Max is in trouble, then we need to help her. It's our _duty_ to help her. And if you won't, then…" He swallowed, and took a deep breath, "then I'll help her without you." He turned to Kate. "What do you need from me?"

"Your car, your time and your knowledge," said Victoria, seriously. "There's not many of us around here with cars. If you can jump in and cruise around, see what you can find. Especially if there's anywhere that Max talked about, places she likes to go."

"Warren?" Brooke had lost her anger, and now looked frightened. "What are you…"

"Guys, could you give us a few minutes, please?" asked Warren, and both Victoria and Kate nodded. "Come on," he said, holding out his hand to Brooke and leading her back inside her room. The door closed and Victoria looked at Kate, surprised written on her face.

"Warren grew a pair?" she said, incredulous.

"I like Warren," said Kate. "I know he liked Max, but… well, he never really stood a chance there, did he?" She smiled. "I'm glad he stood up for himself there. Hopefully he'll convince Brooke to help. So Stella's on board?"

"Yeah. She's going to call Alyssa as well." Victoria looked at Kate. "Time to go."

"Where?

"My car. We need to be out there, too. You said Max liked the beach, right?"

"Yeah."

"So that's where we're going first. Come on."


	43. 42 The Search is On

"Talk to me, Brooke, come on." said Warren. He was sat on the desk, opposite his girlfriend. It was obvious that she was barely holding back her tears, but her face was one of anger, not sadness.

"Why? So you can just take their side again?" she snarled.

"Brooke," said Warren, patiently. "You need to look at it objectively, please. I didn't take their side." He was deliberately keeping his voice as low and calm as possible. "You were wrong, honey, and you _know_ you were."

"Don't call me honey!" she hissed. "You'll never get to call me that again!"

"Brooke, listen to me, please," said Warren. He rose from the chair and knelt down in front of the bed, taking both of his girlfriend's hands in his. She tried to shake them away, but he held on and she didn't try again, but she wouldn't look him in the eyes. "I like you, honey, I do, I really like you. I know it's only been, like, a couple of days, but I do believe we can… be something together. But that… this jealousy… it has to stop. It's not good, Brooke."

"I'm not jealous!" hissed Brooke, from between clenched teeth.

"You are," insisted Warren. In a bold move, he took Brooke's right hand in both of his hands, and raised it to his lips, kissing the knuckles tenderly. She flinched as his lips met her skin and blinked furiously. "You are jealous, Brooke, and… " he paused, kissing her hand once more, "and it could consume you if you're not careful."

"Quiet!"

"Brooke, you need to listen to me," continued Warren. "I'm not trying to hurt you. But you need to tell me why you're so jealous of Max."

"I'm not!"

"You can continue telling yourself that if you'd like," he said, "but you're not convincing me. You're jealous of Max. You _are_ jealous of Max. You're so jealous of her that you made me give up my friend, one of the only people that I've actually felt comfortable with, one of the few people here at Blackwell who reached out to me. And I know she's hurting because of that. Is that… rational, Brooke? Is it?"

"You like her," said Brooke. It was the first time she'd spoken normally since she'd allowed Warren to lead her into her room.

"She's my friend. Yes, I like her," said Warren. "That's what it means to be friends. You like each other."

"No, you _like_ her like her," said Brooke. "More than friends. Don't deny it, you know it's true."

"You're right, I can't deny it," said Warren. "I _do_ like her. What's not to like? But…"

"You see?"

"No, I don't," he said. "She doesn't like me in that way, she's made that clear."

"But you like her more than me," said Brooke. Her lip was trembling now, and Warren noticed.

"Whatever gave you that idea? I'm with you, aren't I?"

"Only because she wasn't interested."

"Brooke, you can't feel that way, you mustn't," said Warren. "That's the sort of thing that destroys a relationship. Look, I like you, I _like_ you like you. In fact, I like you enough that I want to be with you."

"But you like…"

"Does it really matter, Brooke?" asked Warren. He felt a little weird the way the conversation was going, but he pressed on. "Do you actually believe I'm going to leave you for Max?" He was gaining in confidence now. "For that matter, how do I know that there isn't anyone you like better than me?"

"But there isn't!"

"Come on, Brooke," said Warren, smiling, "I know I'm inexperienced, and you're my… well, you're my first… you know, but I'm not so naïve to think that I'm the best looking guy here. I know there's someone else. I don't know who it is, but to be honest I don't care. As long as you don't two-time me with him, it's not an issue. And it's the same with me. So Brooke, this jealousy has to stop. It's ruining what we have, it's preventing me from seeing my friends, and well, it hurts that you don't trust me, okay?"

"Warren, I…"

"And it's not just hurting me, either. Did you see what happened out there?"

"You mean earlier? I know Kate was…"

"No, not that. After that." Brooke silently shook her head, so Warren continued. "Victoria Chase, that's what I mean. She is actually helping Kate. And it seems like they're friends."

"I… I saw that but I couldn't…"

"If those two can forgive and be friends, why can't you? I mean, three days ago, Victoria pushed Kate… well, that video was about as bad as it could get, wasn't it? And look at the two of them now."

"She probably feels guilt, she's just helping her out of guilt."

"You know, maybe you're right," said Warren, thoughtfully. "But even if that _is_ the case, they've put aside their differences to work together to help find Max and Chloe. And that's something else. Victoria _hates_ Max and Chloe, doesn't she?"

"Um, I guess…"

"So why would she be helping find them?" He stood up. "We need to help find Max and Chloe, Brooke."

"Don't leave me!" yelled Brooke, suddenly. Her scream pierced the atmosphere of the room and Warren stood, stunned.

"I'm… what?"

"Warren, please don't leave me," repeated Brooke. Tears were now falling freely down her cheeks. "I…" She looked down, wiped her eyes and then just held out her arms. Warren, without hesitation, climbed on her bed and accepted the embrace, rather awkwardly putting his own arms around her, and drawing her close. Her shoulders heaved and he gently rubbed her back, one hand on the back of her head, gently playing with her ponytail. Eventually she calmed down and pulled out of the embrace, but Warren stayed close, sat on the bed with her.

"I'm not leaving you, Brooke," he said. "I don't want to. I… I really like you, you're…" he gulped, and drew a breath. "Look, you're really pretty, okay? But seriously, you can't be so jealous of me that you stop me from talking to my friends. I'm not going to leave you, okay?"

"You think I'm… pretty?" Brooke's voice was small and vulnerable, and Warren's heart did a quick backflip.

"I do," he said, and Brooke's face broke into a wide smile that shone, even through her tears. He stood up again. "Brooke, we need to help Kate and Victoria to find Max and Chloe. You know it's the right thing to do." He paused. "I'll do it on my own if I have to, but I'd far prefer you to come with me." He held his hand out. "Come with me, please, honey?"

Brooke thought for a moment, then nodded, taking his hand. To her surprise, he pulled her close for another embrace and they stayed like that for a few minutes, just enjoying the closeness between them, Brooke resting her head on his shoulder.

"You think my drone would help?" she said, and Warren thought.

"It could do," he said. "I mean, we'll be in my car, but bring it along. It couldn't hurt."

…

"I don't know, Tori," said Kate, staring at the beached whales. "This is creepy." She walked forward a few steps; there must have been a dozen whales on the beach. "They look so sad."

"Kate, all their mouths turn down at the corners. It's just how they look," said Victoria, but she shivered at the thought of the huge mammals, slowly dying on the beach.

"Yeah, but they look sad," said Kate, looking around. "Any sign of them?"

"Not yet, but it's a large beach," said Victoria. "What did Max say?"

"She said that her and Chloe used to play pirates when they were younger. They'd find treasure, bury it, dig it up, that sort of thing. Captain Chloe and First Mate Max."

Victoria giggled, holding her hand over her mouth. "That's… I'm going to have to remember that," she said, still giggling.

"Tori, you mustn't," said Kate, although she was also struggling to keep a lid on her laughter. "They mustn't know that… you know." She looked around as Victoria's giggles died down, and both girls returned to their previous serious mood. "I think she said something about a hidden cove."

"Pirates in a hidden cove? That sounds promising. Where is it?"

"Duh, Tori, it's hidden, yeah? Generally, that's why it would be called the 'hidden' cove. 'Cause it can't be seen."

Victoria sighed audibly. "Yeah, I get that, Kate," she said. "So, we need to find it, right?"

"That's the plan."

…

The Prescott mansion loomed eerily over Ben Daniels as he stood, collecting his wits. This was the first time he'd stood in the foreboding doorway, with its white gothic-style pillars either side of an impressive door. Foreboding was certainly an apt term, as the doorway itself seemed to frown, the crest over the top creasing down as if to say 'you dare to grace this entrance?'

Even the driveway itself was menacing; a long, curving path beset with shrubs and trees, curved so that you could never see more than a few metres in front of you, and the mansion itself was totally hidden until you were within about twenty metres in front of it.

Daniels took a deep breath and pressed the bell-call. That, too, was in a faux-retro style, with a large, nipple-shaped button and housing. As it was pressed, a deep bell clanged around the interior and the policeman took an involuntary step back. A moment later, the door opened and the Prescott butler, resplendent in a black jacket and trousers, shiny black shoes and white gloves peered out.

"Can I help you?" he said. His voice was that of the quintessential, stereotypical English butler. Daniels nodded and showed his credentials.

"Officer Ben Daniels," he said, by way of introduction. "Arcadia Bay Police. May I come in?"

"I'm afraid not," said the butler. "You'll need to make an appointment." He moved to close the door, but Daniels stopped him.

"Is Mr Prescott at home?"

"I'm sorry, you'll need to make an appointment," said the butler, moving to close the door once more, but again he was stopped by the policeman.

"Look," said Daniels, "either I come in and talk to Sean right now, or my appointment will be made with a search warrant. I'm sure that Sean wouldn't particularly want that. What do you think, hmm?"

The butler looked at Ben with raised eyebrows, then reluctantly nodded. "Wait here," he said, closing the door. Daniels took a step back, looking up at the entrance area, the pillars trying to close in around him and shivered. He considered walking back to his car to wait, but before he could take a step, the door opened once more. It was the butler.

"Please come in," invited the formally-dressed employee, stepping back to allow Daniels entry to the mansion. "The master will receive you in the drawing-room." He motioned to his right, and Daniels nodded. The butler walked over to a set of double door and knocked twice. There was a call from inside and, with a flourish, he flung the doors open. "The master will see you now," he said, and, as Daniels entered the room, "Officer Daniels, sir," he announced, closing the doors and leaving Daniels in the room.

The drawing room was nothing less than Daniels had expected. He hadn't been to the Prescott mansion before, but he'd heard stories of the fabulous wealth on show there and he wasn't disappointed. The drawing room itself was a reasonably, but not overly large room, the centrepiece was a low walnut table surrounded by a set of comfortable-looking (and expensive) sofa chairs, with a large ornate fireplace set into the wall opposite a large bay window. Faux candles flickered on the walls, acting as the light sources for the room, and Sean Prescott, clad in a short sleeved shirt and tie and holding a glass of (what looked like) whiskey in his hands, motioned for Daniels to sit down, an offer which was accepted. To his surprise, Sean remained standing, Daniels immediately feeling awkward but, now that he had sat down, he couldn't very well stand up again. Instead, he admonished himself internally at his naivety.

"Officer Daniels, this is an unexpected pleasure," said Sean. His voice was low and mellow, and upon his face was a smile. It was not a genuine smile, nor was it a particularly welcoming smile. It was, however, a smile built solely of suspicion, irritation and ambition.

"Mr Prescott," acknowledged the police officer.

"It's always a pleasure to meet one of Arcadia's finest," said Sean. "May I offer you a drink?"

"No thanks, I'm on duty," said Daniels. "I'm here to…"

"I know why you're here, Daniels," said Sean. "I believe I have already spoken to the police department on this matter, in fact they've also confirmed that there's nobody here that…"

"Sean, let's cut the act, okay?" said Daniels. "It won't fly with me. I know that your son and his sick teacher have escaped. I know that nobody has searched here. I know they've abducted two students, and I know that it was your intention that nobody search here. So, I'm here to take a look around."

"I'm afraid that's not possible," said Sean. "This place is… off limits. I thought you, of all people, would have known that."

"You are the father of one of the fugitives," said Daniels. "Logically, it's the first place anybody would look."

"Not this time," said Sean. The smile was back, but it had morphed into a smug smile. 'You can't touch me', it said. "Thank you for coming along, Officer," he continued, "I'm sorry that it was a wasted trip."

"I'm not leaving just yet," said Daniels. He took a deep breath.

 _Here goes._

"I'm sorry?" Sean actually sounded surprised.

"Look Sean," he said. "Can I call you Sean…"

"… no…"

"… so Sean, look here. You and I both know I can get probable cause on this…"

"… just try. You'll never get a judge to sign the warrant."

"You know, you may be right," conceded Daniels. "It's quite possible you have all the judges here in your pocket." As he said this, Sean's smile grew, but Daniels wasn't finished. "Thing is, I'm also reasonably sure that something Jefferson, and possibly your son, did, qualifies as a federal crime. And you know what _that_ means, don't you, Sean, hmm?" Sean's smile vanished instantly. He knew exactly what the ramifications of that would be. "So, perhaps you'd like to change your mind, you know, we can do this call informally, right now, rather than calling in the feds. I mean, I'm sure that they'll be _extra_ careful when they search this place."

"You think you can threaten me, Daniels?" growled Sean. His earlier amiable demeanour had gone, replaced by a far more intense, no-nonsense approach.

"Not at all, Sean," said Daniels. "I just thought it might be in your best interest to co-operate, that's all. I mean, we wouldn't want to over-react, would we?"

"You need to be careful…"

"Careful? I do believe that what you're saying could be construed as threatening a serving police officer, Sean," said Daniels. Internally, he was beginning to sweat, but, strangely, he was enjoying himself. "You've never been able to buy me, I know how much that annoys you." He dropped his voice. "Look, let's just get this over with, yeah? Let me take a look around. If Jefferson, your son and their two hostages aren't here, then I'll be gone quickly."

"They're not here," said Sean.

"Fine, then you've got nothing to hide, have you?" said Daniels. "Or should I call the feds? I mean, it does make sense. When looking for a fugitive, especially one who has taken another hostage, isn't it customary to search the family first? Who would you rather look around. Me, or them?"

Sean glared at Daniels, swilling the whiskey around in his glass. If looks could kill… "Very well," he said, finally. "Davidson will show you around." He pressed a small buzzer and within moments the door opened, revealing the butler. "Show Officer Daniels around, Davidson."

"Yes sir," said the butler. "This way, please."

"Thank you, Sean," said Daniels, rising. "It's been a pleasure."

"Fuck off!" spat Sean, as Daniels left the room. Immediately as the doors closed, he dialled furiously, waiting impatiently for the call to be answered. "Get me Gray," he said. "Then wake him!"


	44. 43 The Hidden Cove

"The hidden cove?" Victoria turned to look at Kate.

"The hidden cove," agreed the Christian girl. They had traipsed along the beach for many minutes before finding their target. Way around the beach, beyond the whales, and behind a large outcrop of rock, was a small cove. Small definitely being the operative word. The beach itself contained only around 20 metres of sand, with a layer of shingle above, leading to a sheer cliff face. The sea washed continuously up the sandy shore, but there was no sign of Max, nor Chloe. "It's beautiful!" exclaimed Kate, as they both stopped to catch their breath. "Look at it!"

"I'm looking," said Victoria, but she couldn't help but agree. The cove was certainly an attractive treasure. Out of sight of the main beach, and pretty much the rest of Arcadia, it was one of the few hidden secrets of the town. And was it peaceful. From where they were, the sounds of the town, the cars, were all hidden. For all intents and purposes, the hidden cove was just that. A place to hide, a place of peace, a place to be alone (or alone with your friend). "You're right, it's… stunning," she breathed.

"Let's take a look around," said Kate, skipping forward eagerly. "See if you can find a cave or something. They could be in there, couldn't they?"

Victoria nodded and gingerly picked her way over the rocks towards the beach itself. The tide was on its way out, and the rocks were still wet, making the journey treacherous. Kate had already reached the shore when Victoria, looking ahead at her rather than down, missed her footing. She cried out as she slipped, her ankle turning, causing a sharp pain to shoot up her leg. On instinct, she reached out to steady herself, but could only find nothing but a shard of sharp rock.

As Kate's foot landed on the sand, she heard Victoria cry out from behind her. Spinning around, she saw the girl lose her footing on the slippery rocks and tumble over. Her hand reached out in an unsuccessful attempt to regain her footing, but all she managed to do was scrape it along some rock as she tumbled.

"Tori!" Kate shouted as she ran to help her friend. She climbed carefully but quickly and reached her within a minute. Victoria had slipped and fallen awkwardly and managed to wedge herself between two rocks. "Are you… okay?" As soon as she asked the question she mentally chided herself, but Victoria didn't bite back. Instead, she just looked up at Kate with an almost-amused look on her face.

"Do I look alright?" she asked, with a slight smirk which was quickly replaced by a grimace as a new pain shot through her body. She groaned as she moved, and Kate reached down. With a little effort, she helped Victoria un-wedge herself and struggle to her feet, but as she did so, she cried out once more and stumbled, her ankle unable to take her weight. Kate immediately steadied her, lifting her arm over her shoulders to take her weight, and somehow they managed to climb down from the rocks, collapsing on to the sand a few minutes later.

"Talk to me, Tori," said Kate, concern etched on her face. Victoria opened her eyes to look at her friend. They were masking a lot of pain, and not very well, but there was still something there, a remnant of the true Victoria, and she managed a smile.

"It hurts a lot," she said, "but it would hurt a whole lot more if you hadn't helped me. Thank you, Kate."

"My pleasure, Tori," said Kate, still looking concerned. "Isn't that what friends do for each other?" She smiled and Victoria immediately felt tears welling up.

"Kate," she managed to say, "I'm so sorry. I know I've said it before, but please… I've never had a friend like you, someone willing to help me up when I fall down. Which I do, a lot of the time."

"I know, Tori," said Kate. "I noticed."

"What?"

"Did you think you were hiding it?" Kate asked. "I always noticed, Tori. It was in your eyes. You'd be falling down, and you had to wait until you were alone to pick yourself up again. Next morning, I'd see the control back. But…" she paused, biting her lip, "every now and again, I knew that, somewhere inside the… not-nice Victoria, was a far nicer person."

"I don't deserve a friend like you," sobbed Victoria. She lifted her hand up to wipe her eyes, and noticed the blood running down it, where she'd cut it open on the sharp rock. Kate also noticed.

"Wait," she said, and immediately began rooting in her handbag, pulling out a small first-aid kit. "Hold it up, and keep it steady for me. There you go. Ssh," she continued, softly, taking Victoria's hand and dabbing at it with a small cloth. "I'm sorry, but this will sting." She poured a small amount of white spirit onto the cloth and dabbed again, Victoria hissing in pain as the liquid did its job.

"It hurts less when you drink that stuff," she said, forcing a grin.

"Drink this stuff and you'll be blind in five minutes," said Kate, nodding at the bottle while still dabbing at Victoria's hand and cleaning the wound. "This looks nasty. Hold on." She dug into the kit again, pulling out some plaster and a bandage, and within a couple of minutes the wound was bound and solid. "There," she said, "it _will_ hurt for a while, and don't go clenching your fist too much please."

"So punching the wall is out?" said Victoria. Kate's eyes dropped immediately.

"Victoria, please don't joke about things like that," she said, and Victoria grimaced, although this time not from the pain.

"Shit, sorry Kate," she said, "I… didn't think."

"Don't worry, Tori. I'm… I'm okay now."

"Don't lie."

"No, I am. I mean, I'm not a hundred percent, but with Max, Chloe's, and your help, I'm feeling much better." She put her hand over Victoria's. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," said Victoria. "I know I've said this before, but you make me a much better person. In fact, you make me _want_ to be a better person, Kate." She groaned. "Shit, that hurts."

"Don't try to get up, Tori," said Kate. "Let me… I've got something here you'll…" She rummaged around in her bag, then smiled. "Found it."

…

"Are you completely satisfied now, Officer Daniels?" Sean Prescott was standing in the entrance hall of the Prescott mansion, still holding a full whiskey glass. He was swilling the golden liquid around, making the ice cube knock on the sides of the glass. Davidson has just brought the policeman back to the front of the mansion after his 'guided tour'.

"Yes, I am," said Daniels. "I would have been surprised if they'd have been here, to be honest with you."

"I see."

"I didn't think you'd be so stupid as to actually have them here," he said. "Even if you do own the bulk of Arcadia's finest… what a turn of phrase _that_ is… you still couldn't afford to hide them here."

"I'm glad you see sense."

"Have you any idea where they could be?"

"You're asking me?" Sean raised his eyebrows. "You're actually asking me?"

"So it would seem." Daniels was unfazed. "I mean, I've searched around here. It seemed an intelligent thing to do."

"No, I have no idea where they are. In fact, I didn't know they'd escaped until several hours later," said Prescott.

 _Yeah, you mean when Gray woke up and told you._

"I see. And you're sure you have no idea?"

"That _is_ what I said, Mr Daniels," said Sean. "Although, if we're being honest with each other, I probably wouldn't tell you." He was smiling as he talked, and Daniels nodded.

"You don't like me." It wasn't a question.

"No, I don't," said Sean. "However did you guess?"

"That's understandable," said Daniels. "Probably because I won't take your money." He grinned. "Well, I'd like to say it's been a pleasure, but it hasn't, so I won't." He nodded at the butler. "Davidson." The butler opened the massive front doors, and Daniels left. On the step, he turned back. "Oh, and Prescott? If they turn up, let us know, won't you? I don't think it would bode too well on your… status if you were found harbouring a fugitive." The doors closed behind him and moments later his phone began to ring.

…

"You had alcohol in your bag?"

"Yes."

"I mean, proper alcohol. Not medicinal."

"Well, it _is_ for medicinal purposes." Kate defended herself as Victoria gratefully took a swig of the brandy.

"I guess," she said, smiling. "Aah, that hit the spot." She looked at her friend. "You know, you continually manage to surprise me," she said. "What else do you have in that magic bag of yours?" She looked closely at Kate. "You sure you're not Hermione in disguise?"

"Oh, I'd love a bag like that," said Kate, her eyes gazing off to the distance.

"Wait, you know about…"

"Tori, I may be Christian, but I'm still a teenager, and I enjoy reading. And gaming. And films," said Kate, her eyes twinkling. "You thought I'd never heard of Harry Potter?"

"Well, I did wonder whether you'd have been allowed to read it," said Victoria. "I mean, it's not exactly on the bible's reading list, is it?"

"No, it's not," said Kate, "but that doesn't make it evil, does it?"

"I just thought…"

"I know what you thought," said Kate. "But the simple fact is that the bible was written by man. In a different language. Therefore, it's open to interpretation. And over the last two thousand years, lots of people have interpreted it differently. You have to be very careful, because some people will fixate on a single sentence and ignore everything else. And that's how fundamentalism is born. So no, I read Harry Potter. Mom probably wouldn't be very happy if she found out, but it's not turning me evil, is it? I'm not exactly inviting Satan into my life, am I?" She looked at Victoria, sudden uncertainty in her eyes. "Am I?"

"Let me see," said Victoria. She gently caught hold of Kate's arm and drew her close. The Christian girl didn't resist, and soon her face was within inches of Victoria's. The tall girl was conscious of the nearness, and Kate's breath, warm on her cheeks. She was subconsciously holding her breath, her cheeks beginning to burn, and she swore she saw Kate's eyes flick downwards momentarily, but then Kate moved away and Victoria let out her breath. "I have looked deeply into your eyes and, have no fear, I see no evil," she breathed, smiling and Kate did too, looking away, unable to meet her gaze.

 _Was that a… blush?_

"Good," said Kate, moving away to sit back down, close but not too close to Victoria. She coughed and cleared her throat. "How are you feeling?"

 _What just happened?_

Victoria took a final swig of the brandy and handed the bottle back to Kate, shivering as the liquid burned its way down her throat. "Much better, thanks," she said. She lay down on her back, looking up at the sky. "Is it me, or is it getting darker?" she said, and Kate looked up.

"I don't know," she said. "You could be right." She shivered. "It's certainly got colder, and I think the wind's getting up. Perhaps we should think about moving on, or getting back. We need to report in to Mr Madsen, as well." She rose to her feet. "Well, they're not here," she said, putting the first aid kit and brandy back into her bag. "It was a good idea, but… we should… what is it?" Victoria hadn't moved.

"What's up there?" she said, pointing. Kate followed her finger up the cliff edge.

"It's the lighthouse," she said. "Up there. But hardly anyone ever goes up there, do they? I mean, it's quite…"

"…deserted," finished Victoria, with a look on her face. She bounded to her feet and the two girls looked at each other, both speaking at the same time.

"They could be at the lighthouse!"


	45. 44 Purity and Love

"You don't love me." The disappointment in the voice was unmistakeable, but this time, there was something else. Something new. Something… malicious about it. "I know you don't love me. It's in your eyes."

"How can you say that?" Nathan looked at the apparition standing in front of him. She'd had appeared to him in her white purity dress, but her hands were placed precisely on her hips, and she was glaring at the young man. Also, there were crimson bloodstain streaks down the white fabric, a constant reminder of her condition.

"Because you don't. I _know_ you don't." Her eyes seemed to bore into his very soul. It was… unsettling.

"That's not true, Rachel!" insisted Nathan. "I _do_ love you." Even as he said the words, he knew they were a lie, almost as though he were trying to convince himself. He refused to look at her as he said this, another dead giveaway.

In reply, the girl simply shook her head and waggled her finger from left to right and back again, smirking at him. "You're _obsessed_ with me. That's different to love. Love is when you hurt all the time. Love is… pure. Love is not needing to possess someone, not needing a title, you just love having them around in your life, whether it's as a friend, a lover, a soulmate, or something else. That's love. Infatuation, fixation, obsession, call it what you will, is different. It doesn't feel good, it feels important, urgent, and very stressful. See, you're infatuated with me. You're suffocating when you're not around me. You overthink every little thing you say and do, or they say and do, and find meaning where there is not. You feel like you're gasping for air, suffocating… remember that, Nathan? Remember how you made _me_ feel? All you want is what you think you need from me."

"That's not true!" insisted the young man, but he knew in his heart that she spoke truly, even if it wasn't the whole truth. "I _do_ love you."

"I've no doubt that you believe that to be the case," she said, smiling sadly. "However… still, I love you, and you know that. I'm not leaving you, and you know that, too, right?"

"I know," he said. "I know you do, and I know you won't."

"Who're you talking to?" Nathan jumped and looked round at Mark Jefferson, stubble now plainly showing on his face.

"Nobody," said Nathan, startled like a rabbit in the headlights, but his former teacher wasn't convinced. "I was… talking to myself."

"You're talking to her again, aren't you?" he said, sighing and shaking his head.

"I wasn't!"

"Lie to yourself if you must, Nathan, but you can't lie to me. I _know_ you were talking to her. You think I can't hear you?" He sighed. "It's not healthy, you know."

"She's…"

"… not real, Nathan," he said, sitting down opposite the young man. "She's not real. She's dead. You killed her, remember?" He reached out to take the hands of the young man in comfort, but Nathan pulled away and stood, backing off from the man.

"I know!" he screamed. "I killed her, I killed her! You think I don't know that? You think you need to constantly remind me what I did? You think I don't know what you made me do?"

"Calm down, Nathan," said Jefferson. His voice was silk, but there was an edge to it, an almost imperceptible edge. "You need your medication. Dammit, I should have made sure we had a supply." This last sentence was subvocalized, unheard by Nathan. "Calm down, son. You need to breathe. Deep and easy. Come on."

"You don't know…"

"Sit down." It was not a question, and Nathan obeyed. "Good. How are you feeling?"

"Tight."

"That's to be expected after an… after one of your episodes," he said. He sat next to the young man. "Come on, Nathan, we've been through too much together. I know you, remember? Haven't I been there for you?"

"Yes," said Nathan, begrudgingly.

"Haven't I always thought of you? Haven't I always made sure you have everything you need?"

"Yes," he said again.

"Come on, Nathan," said Jefferson, smiling. "I know your… family life hasn't been the most fulfilling, but I'm here for you. You know that, don't you?"

"I do."

"Good boy. Good boy." He patted him on the shoulder. "You need to pull yourself together, Nathan. I know this isn't exactly what we had in mind, but surely it's better than rotting in a cell, right?"

"I guess so," said Nathan, although he didn't sound convinced. "It was… quite there."

"Nathan?" Jefferson suddenly gave the boy his full attention. "You're not having second thoughts about this, are you?"

"No, I mean, I guess not, it's just…"

"You want to rot in a cell?"

"Well, no, but…"

"You want _me_ to rot in a cell? You really want that, Nathan?"

"No! Of course not!" Nathan shook his head, his eyes wide. "How could you even say that?"

"Because I don't know any more, Nathan," said Jefferson. "I mean, I thought I knew you. I thought I knew what you wanted, what I could provide for you. But now…"

"Don't say that!"

"What do you want from me, Nathan? What do you want me to be?"

"I want…" Nathan's voice was timid. "I want you to teach me. What you know. About… stuff, you know."

"About… stuff," repeated the teacher. "Gee, that's illuminating." The sarcasm dripped out of his voice like hot wax from a candle, but Nathan didn't notice. "Well, you'll have what you want," he continued, smiling, "but only if I have what I want."

"And what do you want?"

"Your obedience," said Jefferson. "If I'm to teach you, to continue to teach you, I need to know I have your loyalty. See, loyalty is very important to me. It's something I treasure very highly. I need to know that you have my back. I can't teach you what you need to know if I'm constantly wondering if you'll turn on me and betray me. Will you do that, Nathan?"

"No! Of course not! How could you even say that?"

Jefferson smiled. "Just checking, Nathan." He smiled again and stood. "You're a good boy, Nathan," he said, patting the boy on the shoulder once more. "Sean should have taken more care of you. He doesn't know what he's missing," he continued. "But his loss is my gain. I'm so glad you came into my life, Nathan Prescott."

"As am I, Mark," said Nathan.

"Good boy. Now, I'm going to check on our… guests. You'll be okay here until I return?"

Nathan just nodded, and Jefferson made to leave the room, but, just as he reached the door, a voice found him and stopped him dead in his tracks. It was not the voice of the usually confident, superior, arrogant Nathan Prescott, but the simple voice of a frightened boy.

"You'll come back?"

Hearing this, Jefferson allowed himself a quick smile before he turned and changed the smile to a wide grin. "Yes of course, my boy," he said, his voice soft and silk once more. "I won't leave you." He turned once more and left the room, closing the small wooden door behind him.

Alone again, Nathan turned and placed his head in his hands. This was not how he'd pictured freedom. He didn't want to hide away in this godforsaken place in the middle of nowhere! He wanted to go back to Blackwell, see his friends. Live the life, just like he did before.

"He doesn't care." Rachel was back.

"He _does_ care."

"He just wants you to think that. He doesn't care."

"He cares more than my father does."

Rachel paused. "I'll allow you that. However, that's not really difficult, is it?" She pouted. "He'll never care for you the way _I_ do." She was standing in front of him, and now she moved forward, straddling him as he sat. She wriggled slightly on his lap and placed her arms over each of his shoulders, leaning in so that her face was just inches from his. "Don't forget, Nathan Prescott," she whispered, "I know exactly what you want. I know exactly what you need. Your infatuation with me is suffocating you. You can hide absolutely nothing from me. So, Nathan Prescott, remember. Remember Rachel Amber. Remember me. Remember what you did."

Nathan blinked twice as she spoke, and then blinked a third time. His eyes felt… gritty and he blinked again and again to try and clear them, all the while knowing what was coming, and knowing as well that he was powerless to stop it.

He closed his eyes and tried to rub them clean, but it didn't work, and his vision began to blur, slowly at first, then it deteriorated quickly, and soon the world was nothing but a foggy blur. His breath became ragged, his chest heaving as he struggled to suck in enough oxygen, and he began to feel a great weight on his chest. Moving his arms and legs was a struggle as well now, and he began to choke, feeling his airways constricting and his mouth filling. Breathing was almost an impossibility now, and he closed his eyes, unable to keep them open, and also thrashing his arms and legs in his mind, as in reality they weren't working. He could feel himself begin to pass out from lack of oxygen, and he welcomed the darkness.

"I'm sorry," whispered Rachel in his ear, "but you need to know what I went through." She lay her head on his shoulder, and his breathing became easier as he finally drew in massive, ragged breaths. "It's important you don't forget me." He could move again and, as he did every time, he stood and walked around, completely forgetting about the girl straddled about him. Remembering, he looked back down, but there she was, sat on his seat, watching him with watery, unblinking eyes as he paced around and around, trying to gather his thoughts.

"I could never forget about you, Rachel," he said, coughing as his mouth formed the words with difficulty. The inside of his mouth felt gritty and dry, and he yearned for a glass of water, but he knew Rachel could never bring him one, nor would she, if she were able.

"Then you understand how much I care for you?"

"I do."

She smiled. "Good." She patted the dirty, low bed she was sitting on. "Come, sit with me." He obeyed, and she leaned into him, placing her head on his left shoulder and wrapping her grey, heatless arm around him. He shivered once, but otherwise sat still. She leaned in further, her lips now mere millimetres from his left ear. "I'm really sorry I had to do that, my love," she whispered, and he swore he could feel the touch of her lips on the lobe of his ear, "but it is necessary, you have to believe me."

"Oh, I believe you," he murmured. "you've been there for me since I… since you were…"

"Since you killed me?"

"Yeah, that," he said. "I mean, you know I didn't mean to, right?" He looked down, tears threatening his eyes. "I didn't want to hurt you, I didn't want to hurt anyone." He began to sob, his shoulders heaving.

"I know, my love," she said. "But you did hurt me, didn't you?"

"I _know!_ " cried Nathan. "But I didn't, I mean, I loved you, I couldn't hurt you!"

"Nathan," said Rachel. She moved around so that she was once again straddled across his lap. "You hurt me _because_ you were obsessed with me, didn't you? Tell the truth!"

" _No!_ " he cried. "I… I was trying to be like… I mean, I wanted to be more like… he needed to see…"

"You wanted Mark to praise your work?"

" _Exactly!_ I thought I was ready for… but I wasn't." Nathan tried to hang his head, but Rachel wouldn't let him. He felt her finger under his chin and he lifted up again to look at her.

"You weren't ready. You gave me too much, didn't you?"

"I know, but I didn't… oh god, you weren't… not until I…"

"But why did you put me in the ground?"

"I had to. He said…"

"Who said, Nathan?"

"Mark did."

"And did he know that I wasn't…"

Nathan nodded sadly. "He knew. We both knew."

"So why did you…"

" _Because he told me to!_ " Nathan fell silent after the outburst, a silence only broken by the occasional muffled sob. "I didn't want to, but he made me do it!"

"He cares for you?"

"No! He doesn't care about me, he only cares about himself!" Nathan really fell silent after this, the implications of what he'd just said, what he'd just admitted were staggering.

"Good, Nathan," said Rachel. "Now you're finally beginning to see what I've been trying to make you see for months." She smiled reassuringly, and Nathan couldn't help but mirror the smile. She noticed and put a hand on his cheek. Her skin was cold to the touch, and wherever she touched, he felt a spark of electricity raise the tiny hairs on his skin. She gently caressed his cheek, and he closed his eyes, smiling. "Good boy, you make me happy," she cooed, continuing to gently stroke the young man's cheek. "Now just ssh, I know exactly what you want," she continued softly, opening her mouth and drawing a deep breath, but instead of talking, or singing, the sound that came out of her mouth was the song of whales. Therapeutic, relaxing, and exactly what Nathan needed to calm him down. "Let me be everything you need me to be," she whispered, continuing to sing the whale-song as Nathan's breathing slowed, and his anxiety melted away.


	46. 45 Can you drive?

"I think we need to get off the beach, Kate." Victoria looked up and around her. It had definitely got darker, and the wind was whipping around in all directions now with a vengeance, creating small tornadoes in the sand as the grains whirled round and round like some kind of sand dervish, stinging where it came into contact with their skin. Kate looked across at her with no small amount of fear in her eyes, her hand covering her nose and mouth as she struggled to breathe.

"The storm…" she said.

Victoria nodded. "It's coming," she said, then looked up. "Actually, I think it's almost here. Come on, we need to be somewhere else." She stood, but immediately grimaced in pain, tears flooding to her eyes. "Kate, I can't put any weight on it," she said, trying to blink them away and just getting a face-full of sand for her troubles, and the Christian girl dutifully helped her friend to her feet, hooked her arm over her shoulder and promoted herself from the status of friend, to the status of crutch. Kate was coughing herself from the sand which was now really beginning to whip around them.

"Come on, Tori," she said, smiling, although slightly strained from the sand and the wind. "I won't let you fall." She looked up at the lighthouse, looming over them like an overseer. "You think we can get up there?"

"We have to, Kate, but we need to get back to the car first," said Victoria. Kate nodded and helped her over the rocks. This time they both took their time, her sure feet tackling the uneven rocks as they made their way back to the beach proper.

"You okay?" said Kate, looking at Victoria and giggling at her red face.

Victoria nodded. "I will be," she said. "Nothing's broken, it just hurts, that's all."

"I'll put together some sort of poultice when we get back," said Kate. "It'll relieve the pain. We just need to get you off your feet, that's all."

Victoria couldn't help herself. "Why Kate, that's so… sudden," she quipped. "You could at least buy me dinner first!" Kate giggled, her face blushing a deep crimson as she looked away, unable to hold the taller girl's gaze. They both fell silent as they picked their way over the rocks, finally making their way back to the beach. Due to the wind, the journey back took a lot longer than the journey over, but they made it. One advantage of the rocks was the lack of sand whipping around their faces. However, after trying again (and failing) to put weight on her ankle, Victoria gratefully accepted Kate's help once more and they slowly made their way back to Victoria's car.

 _What just happened? Was I… flirting?_

 _No, surely not. I mean, it's just Kate, right?_

 _But she blushed._

 _Is she… having thoughts about…_

 _Come on, Victoria. This is Kate Marsh you're talking about. Pious and Christian, remember? Abstinence club?_

 _Actually, what am I even thinking about? Am I actually thinking about…_

 _No!_

 _Bad Victoria!_

 _Bad!_

 _Bad!_

Victoria shook her head, trying to clear it as another thought hit her. A more sobering thought.

"Kate, um, can… can you drive?"

"What?"

"I can't drive, Kate. I can't put weight on my ankle to accelerate. Can… can you?"

Kate looked into Victoria's eyes for a moment as their gaze met, and saw something behind them, something she recognised. Something she wanted desperately to see from her friend.

Honesty. And need.

She smiled, the smile reaching her eyes and nodded.

"I _can_ drive," she said, "but I've never driven, well, anything like _that_." She looked at Victoria's car. Like everything else, it wasn't cheap. It also wasn't underpowered.

"Kate, I'm sorry, but I need you to drive," said Victoria, her eyes boring into Kate. "I wouldn't ask, except…"

"…we're out of options?" finished Kate, and Victoria nodded.

"Exactly. First, we've got to get away from the beach, and second, we have to get to the lighthouse, right?"

"Then I guess I'm your girl," she said, cheekily, the blush rising to her cheeks once more. Victoria smiled gratefully and handed over the keys, their hands touching for a brief second. For Victoria, it was like a spark of electricity passing between them and, by the way Kate's eyes flinched, it looked like she felt it too.

 _Um, what's happening to me?_

"Thanks, Kate," said Victoria.

"No, thank you," said Kate.

"What for?"

"For being honest. For trusting me. It's funny," she said as she opened the door and helped Victoria into the passenger seat, "this time last week, if you'd have told me we'd be doing this right now…" Victoria nodded.

"I know what you mean, I wouldn't have believed it, either. Funny how much things can change." She smiled warmly, and Kate reciprocated quickly, her smile lighting up her face.

"And so quickly as well," said Kate, then her face sobered slightly. "But I think that we've both been on a bit of a journey this week, haven't we? And I think that we're both better people for it, and I think that what we have is real. Yeah?"

 _What we… have?_

 _What exactly_ do _we have?_

"A journey?" said Victoria, slightly flustered. "I mean, yeah, we sure have. As you said, this time last week… I was a bitch to you. And I hadn't even recorded that awful video…"

"But look how you've changed, Tori," said Kate, smiling. She closed the car door and inserted the key. "Are you absolutely sure about this? Me driving, I mean."

"Just get on with it," said Victoria in good humour. "We don't have all day, do we?"

…

"Max!" Chloe's whisper penetrated the darkness. The wind had continued to gain in strength and was quite audible from outside the room they were in, and more than once Max was convinced she'd heard the walls begin to creak, but that could have just been her imagination running wild.

"Yes?" She also whispered, not because she was afraid of being heard (they were alone, after all), but because she was afraid of being heard by the darkness itself. She'd no idea how much time had passed, but every now and again, Chloe would strike up a short, awkward conversation, which they both would bravely keep going for a few minutes, as if to stave off the darkness and the fear for a little while longer, then they'd fall silent again.

"How are you feeling?"

"Chloe, really?" Max sounded as frustrated as she felt. "We're tied up, who knows where. It's dark. I'm not in your arms. When you asked me ten minutes ago, I told you how I felt. I'm scared, I'm frustrated. Actually I'm terrified, because I know he's going to come back for us soon and I'll be a complete frozen fucking wreck when he does and I hear his voice. I'll be completely useless to you. Do you think that anything has changed in the last ten minutes?"

"Sorry," said Chloe, her voice sounding a little small in the darkness. Max immediately felt guilty at her outburst.

"No, I'm sorry," she said, her voice small and contrite. "I shouldn't have snapped at you. It's just… it's difficult."

"It's okay, Max, don't worry about it." said Chloe. "We're both stressed and I asked you a derpy question. However, I do have a point to make, which is why I started talking in the first place." She barked out a short giggle and paused dramatically. "I think I know where we are."

Max's interest was piqued. "Go on."

"Have you had any thoughts on the matter?"

 _Jesus, Chloe, now isn't the time to play games._

"Chloe, just spit it out," she sighed, immediately hating herself for her harsh tone. "Shit, I'm sorry, again," she continued.

"Don't worry your pretty little head about it," said Chloe. It sounded like she was smiling, which caused Max to smile in response, even though neither could see the other. "Anyway, I've been thinking this over and over, looking at the evidence, and I reckon we're in the lighthouse."

 _The lighthouse?_

"The one on the cliff?"

"You know any other lighthouse in the area?" Chloe giggled slightly. "Yeah, the one on the cliff. I reckon that's where we are."

"What makes you think that?" Max narrowed her eyes and squinted, but she still had trouble seeing the walls. Maybe it was the tears she was constantly fighting against fogging her vision.

"Look, I dunno whether my eyes adjusted more than yours, but I can kinda see a few things. For example, I can sort of make out that the walls are stone, and they're round. We're in a round room, Max."

"Go on." Chloe had her full attention now.

"And the wind outside, whipping around, I'm pretty sure I can hear the trees. Max, I think we're in the lighthouse."

"Okay, let's say we are for the moment…"

"I'm sure we are, Max." Chloe sounded insistent.

"Yeah, I know you are, Chloe, but I'm not. Well, not yet. It's… an intriguing thought, to be honest with you, and it's quite possible, but I'm not convinced. Why would Jefferson bring us here?"

"Seriously? Come on, Max, I know this situation sucks, but I need you to think clearly here. If this _is_ the lighthouse, it's right out in the middle of nowhere. Who's gonna look for us here?"

"If they even know we're missing?" Max's tone betrayed the sense of hopelessness she was feeling. "I mean, nobody'll be looking for us. For me."

"What?"

"I said…"

"I know what you said, Max, and you need to stop that _right now_ ," said Chloe. "That sort of negative thinking isn't gonna help us at all. So _snap out of it, okay_? People will know we're missing, and they'll be out looking for us. Right?"

"Right." Max didn't sound convinced, but Chloe decided to let it slide.

"And anyway, even they weren't, they'd be out looking for Jeffershit and Prickscott, right?"

"I guess so."

"So yeah, they're looking for us, but I doubt they'd think to look out here." She sighed. "I wonder if they're even searching in Prescott's house?"

"Probably not," said Max. "He probably won't let them in. Even though it's his own son, he'll have instructed the police not to search his own house, won't he? They wouldn't dare to go against his… his orders."

"Yeah, you're not wrong," said Chloe. "Except maybe Gray. Prescott would probably allow him up for a token search."

"Yeah, but he wouldn't do any actual searching, right?"

"Yup. He'd probably just say he'd been there. Or turn up, have a cup of tea then leave. Either way, no searching, that's guaranteed." Chloe barked a short laugh. "So, back to the max, um, Max, I'm pretty sure this is the lighthouse, okay?"

"Okay, we'll go with that then," said Max. "I still don't know, but I don't have any better idea, so we'll just go with… _fuck!_ " Her face dropped into a mask of horror as her body totally stiffened.

"Max?"

"Fuck, Chloe, the lighthouse!" Max began to struggle as realisation hit. "Chloe, help me, please, we need to get out of here!"

"What?"

"Chloe…" Max was struggling back and forth now against her bonds, but they were holding steady.

"Yeah, I heard you, dude," said Chloe, her own breathing quickening at her girlfriend's obvious distress. "Calm down, Max, we can't go anywhere at the moment, and you'll only hurt yourself."

"Chloe…" Her breathing began to shorten as the panic began to take hold. The cords held her tight, she couldn't even lift her hand. "Chloe, I can't…"

" _Max!_ " shouted Chloe, and the force of her voice got through to the young girl and she stopped moving. "Listen to me! Focus on my voice!"

"I'm…" Max struggled, but managed to turn her head towards the sound of Chloe's voice, and focussed on her. "I'm here, Chloe. But I…"

"Good," said Chloe, more gently. "You were getting yourself worked up there. Count with me, remember?"

"I remember."

"Come on then. With me. One Chloe…"

"… Price, two Chloe-Price," counted Max, feeling her breathing slow down and her pulse return to normal. She continued counting for a few more minutes, then stopped. "Thanks, Chloe."

"Any time, Batmax. Now, mind telling me what got you worked up?"

"The lighthouse."

"Yeah, I kinda got that much. What about the lighthouse?"

"Last week, I remember, Chloe. In the storm. I was here, remember?"

"Yeah, I know. You said. I… I was here, too, wasn't I?"

"Yeah, but, I saw it in my visions, Chloe. The lighthouse… it's destroyed by the storm!"

Chloe felt like she'd been punched in the stomach. Her blood ran cold in her veins, and she gasped for breath as all the air vanished from her lungs. A few moments later, she sucked in some more air and was able to speak again. " _What?_ "

"Yeah, a boat smashes into it. It's the first thing I saw last week, back even before I saw you get… saw you in the bathroom! Then again, I saw it when we were on the train tracks. We have to get out of here, Chloe. It could be destroyed at any moment!"


	47. 46 Lighthouse

"Ladies."

The voice that both Max and Chloe feared had returned. They kept silent as the light was switched on. Both girls blinked and narrowed their eyes at the sudden flooding of the room with artificial light, but Max knew immediately that Chloe was right.

 _We're in the lighthouse._

The outer wall was, indeed, stone. And they were in a small, circular room.

 _Well spotted, Chloe. Ten points._

 _Let's hope we survive long enough to cash them in._

Her attention was then drawn to the man coming down the stairs that wound around the circular stone walls. He was climbing down the stairs slowly and deliberately, drawing out a pointlessly dramatic entrance, but enjoying every second of it. The room itself was reasonably sparse, a couple of curved bookshelves adorned one section of the wall, near the heavy wooden door that led to the outside (and freedom). Max and Chloe were bound to two stout oak chairs, Max near the bottom of the stairs, and Chloe near the bookshelves. Max twisted her head around at the sound of his voice, her brain screaming at her whilst simultaneously doing her utmost to avoid the emotional and physical shutdown that had usually accompanied his voice.

It didn't work.

Chloe watched with horror as Max's whole body stiffened as his voice resonated around the room. Her breathing grew ragged, and she gasped for air as Chloe looked on, frustrated at her complete and abject inability to do anything to ease the suffering of her girlfriend. Unlike Max, Chloe simply felt an unutterable loathing at the sight of the smartly-dressed, former teacher-now-fugitive Mark Jefferson.

"Getting used to your surroundings?" asked Jefferson. His voice, although silky smooth, grated like nails on a blackboard.

"Fuck you!" spat Chloe.

"Now now, Ms Price," said Jefferson. Chloe could still see Max struggling for breath, and felt her own emotions beginning to bubble and rise as she fought to stay calm. If Max was right, and the lighthouse was about to be destroyed…

"What would you suggest, Jeffershit? You've abducted us, and for what?"

"I would have thought that was obvious," he said, smiling.

"Maybe not," spat Chloe. "I'm sure you'll tell us."

"I am aware of your expulsion from Blackwell, Ms Price, but I have pulled your file. You were… sorry, _are_ a very intelligent young lady," he continued, totally ignoring Chloe's outburst. "So I'd have thought you'd have worked out why you're here."

"Just shut the fuck up, why don't you?"

"I'm disappointed, Ms Price," said the teacher. "I'd have thought better from you, although, after reading through your school file, I suppose I'm not really surprised. Bottom-dwellers like you us bottom-dwelling language." He reached the bottom of the stairs and took a seat near the door, where both girls could see him. Chloe noticed that Max had screwed her eyes shut, and thankfully it looked like her breathing was easing slightly. "Talk to me, Ms Price. Humour me. Prove you're not the stupid brat your files make you out to be. Tell me why you're here."

"It's fucking obvious. You're a spineless fucking coward, a fetid feculent turd who isn't man enough to stay caught. You broke out and, instead of escaping to freedom, decided to pursue some sort of reckless vengeance quest. That's the sign of someone lacking a fucking brain. And a spine."

"My, you don't pull your punches, do you?" said Jefferson, chuckling slightly. "Then again, I'd have expected nothing less from you. Although," he continued, drawing out the word in amusement, "you totally failed to answer the question."

"You're going to kill us. Or kill Max."

"Wrong. And wrong."

"You're going to let us live?" Chloe's voice dripped with disbelief. "I can't believe that."

"Well… no. But I thought I'd kill you, and let Max watch you die. You know, like what happened last week?"

 _Last week? Oh shit!_

"I have no idea what you're talking about," said Chloe, her heart beginning to beat wildly.

 _How the fuck does he know about…_

"Yeah, I've a hard time believing that," he said. "See, I didn't believe Max when she spouted all that bullcrap on Wednesday, but then, the way she escaped… you know, she moved like… one second she was here, the next she was somewhere else, it got me thinking in that cell. And I was wondering, if she was telling the truth about the time-travel, and to be honest, I still have trouble believing that, you know, but," he said, wagging his finger and smiling, "thinking about it seriously, she was drugged…"

"… she's right there, you know…"

"… and I don't think she was capable of telling that sort of convoluted lie. No, I think, ludicrous though it may be, she was telling the truth. I think she can travel in time, and I think that's extraordinarily dangerous. I need to be careful…"

"… you're right there…"

"… about exactly how long she can rewind. She said about half a minute or so, perhaps as long as a minute. That got me thinking. A minute isn't really very long, now, is it?"

"You sick…"

"Now now, Ms Price, let's not say anything we're going to regret later," said Jefferson, smiling and enjoying the conversation. Close to him, Max still had her eyes closed, looking like she was concentrating very hard on keeping her breathing regular and slow. "When Ms Caulfield was drugged a couple of days ago… hmm, wind's getting up outside, isn't it… when she was drugged, she spilled quite a lot. Including how she watched you die. Over and over again, last week. Quite the traumatic experience, if you think about it. But, see," he continued, "obviously, given that you're in front of me, that hasn't happened. So, I'm thinking it must have been some _other_ last week, or maybe she just kept rewinding and rewinding, over and over again, to prevent your death. Either way, terribly traumatic for her. Imagine seeing your best friend die over and over again. Traumatic enough when you're able to rewind and prevent it, but after all that, watching her die when you know that _there's absolutely nothing you can do about it_ , now that should totally break her. Don't you think so?"

"You have no idea…"

"Oh, but I think I do," said Jefferson. "If I kill you, um, _again_ , and keep Ms Caulfield from rewinding for a minute or so, then there's no going back, is there?" His expression morphed into something more predatory. "I'll have no reason to kill her, then. She just rambles on and on, nobody would believe a word she says. But you… you are the intelligent one. Plus, your death would definitely cement her silence." He grinned. "Plus, I must confess that I'd take a certain… satisfaction at ending your miserable life." He stood and began pacing. "I'd consider it a… community service. Yeah, that's exactly what it would be. You got yourself kicked out of Blackwell and what have you done with your life since? _Nothing!_ You've lazed around, bumming from here to there, drinking, smoking god knows what, a total waste of an existence." He stopped pacing and looked directly at her. "Tell me I'm wrong. Go on. I dare you."

 _What the hell. Keep him talking, isn't that what Max said?_

"I'm not going to tell you that you're wrong," said Chloe, surprising herself with her honesty. "You're right, I _have_ wasted a lot of my life recently. But if I did, then I hold you responsible for a large part of that."

"Oh? You hold _me_ responsible?" Jefferson face changed once more, into a picture of amusement and curiosity. "Do tell. This should be… fascinating." He sat down and looked at Chloe.

"Well, you're not responsible for Max leaving, or my dad dying. I'll grant you that much and yes, after those things happened, I was lost for a while. Until I found Rachel. My… other best friend. My angel. And you took her away from me." Chloe was getting worked up, and it showed. "Getting kicked out of Blackwell? Messing around? That all happened after she went missing and nobody did anything about it! And you didn't exactly help, did you?"

"Ah yes, Rachel. Such a sweet girl," said Jefferson. "She certainly looked like an angel." His smile turned predatory. "But she acted like a devil in bed."

"Shut up!"

"Don't like to hear that, do you?" he said, grinning broadly now. "She was like a little tiger. Did… you and her… you know she liked to be on top, don't you?" He smirked. "Or maybe you don't. She told me she knew you loved her, but she didn't feel the same way. She liked _real_ men. And that's something you could never have given her."

"Shut the fuck up, you…"

"Ms Price, you are so easy to wind up," he chuckled. "I mean, it's not even a satisfying challenge."

Chloe forced herself to slow her breathing and calm herself down. "Fuck you, prick!" she spat. "I don't care, you can say what you like about her. I know it's all lies. You're a compulsive liar and you know it. You get off on making other people feel like shit. Teacher? Don't make me fucking laugh. You couldn't teach a horse to run." She was feeling good now, getting on a roll. "The students go to your class because they believe the lie, they believe that you'll actually impart your knowledge and make them a star. Well, Mr Prick, newsflash! I don't believe you! You don't have any worthwhile knowledge, anything _legal and decent_ to impart. Just bullshit, lies and fucked up sick fucking fantasies."

 _Go Chloe!_

"You can't…"

"I know what you did to her, _Jeffershit_!" she spat, causing the teacher to actually flinch at the venomous way she said his name. "I know what you did."

"Nathan, actually," he said. "I had nothing to do with it."

"Oh really? And why did Nathan do it? To try and please you, you sick fucking fuck!"

"You have such a way with words," smiled Jefferson, but Chloe thought she was getting to him, ever so slightly. "Do you talk to your mother with that mouth? I know that Madsen doesn't appreciate it."

"You leave him out of it! Nathan already tried to kill him, too!"

"Actually, I believe he was trying to kill you, not Madsen. The stupid prick just got in the way." Jefferson sighed. "He was actually quite irritating, you know. Once he'd got the bit between his teeth, he'd never let go. It was quite the task to point him away from Nathan." Jefferson smiled. "He never suspected me, of course."

"Yeah, whatever," said Chloe. "Prickscott's just a sick as you. Because _you made him that way_. I feel sorry for him, really. I mean, I get that Sean is a prick, but you, you did it deliberately. You used him."

" _Of course I did_ ," said Jefferson. He stood up again. "You think he's a worthwhile student? Of course not! He's far too impetuous. He rushes into things, the situation with Rachel was the perfect example of that. He was infatuated with her, couldn't leave her alone. And in trying to emulate my _careful_ art, he only succeeded in fucking it up completely." He began pacing around, waving his hands in the air. "She wasn't supposed to die. _None_ of them were! She was… she was just an accident. My art is about _precision_ , it's about _careful preparation_. He's useful for one thing and one thing only."

"His father's money."

"See, you _are_ intelligent. Well, okay, two things. The money was useful, of course, I mean, professionally kitted-out photographic studios don't come cheap, but even that paled into comparison with the Prescott contact network. Now that was _very_ useful."

"I bet. Especially when you were locked up where you fucking belonged!"

"Exactly," said Jefferson, ignoring Chloe's outburst. "Although the money now, of course, is of no importance. I mean, obviously I can't go back to the Dark Room now, and all the equipment there will have gone. It'll have to be replaced." He paused, thinking. "I still have the contacts and passwords, of course, so I'll be able to set up elsewhere."

"Where?"

Jefferson laughed, long and hard. "I'm not going to tell you that, now, am I?" he said. "Do you take me for a complete fool?"

"Well, yes, I do," said Chloe. "You broke out of jail, and instead of fleeing in obscurity, you stay here and try to ruin two _more_ lives. I'd say that was pretty fucking stupid, if you ask me."

"Well, it's a good thing I'm not asking you, isn't it?" said Jefferson. He looked around the small room, sitting down once more. "Do you like your surroundings?"

 _Keep him talking._

"I've never actually been inside the lighthouse before," said Chloe, thoughfully. "I mean, we've hung out outside a few times. Hell, we were up here only a few days ago, but we've never actually been inside." She made a show of looking around. "Mind you, now that we're in here, there's not a great deal to see."

"First time for anything," said Jefferson. "Interesting history, this place. You know anything about it?"

"Um, no. Why would I?"

"No reason," said Jefferson. "I just thought, what with you being teenagers, you'd have heard the stories about this place."

"Nope."

"Ah well, then, let me enlighten you," he continued.

"You really like the sound of your own voice, don't you?"

"Imagine the scene," started Jefferson, totally ignoring Chloe's comment. "Lightning flashes in the sky. Thunder booming overhead. Six teenagers, running through the forest, caught in the storm, trying to reach a place of safety before they're drenched by the rain splattering the mud around them. Their path is lit continuously by electricity streaking the sky." Jefferson stood, his voice taking on a dramatic quality. "They reach the lighthouse… _this_ lighthouse and they all gratefully find their way inside. Later on, once the storm passes, the teenagers come out of the lighthouse and return to their homes. All, that is, except for one." He looked to the ceiling. "So the legend goes, the spirit of a young woman haunts this lighthouse," he said. "It is unknown how she met her demise; her body was never found, and her disappearance is still a mystery. All they ever found was her bloody handkerchief at the bottom of the stairs." He walked over to the stairs and bent down. "Right about… _here_ ," he said, pointing to the ground. And since then, of an afternoon when the fog comes drifting in from the sea and completely envelopes the lighthouse, it is one of the loneliest places in the world. At such times as these, those who chance to be in the vicinity of this lighthouse sometimes hear a moaning sound, like the cry of an anguished soul in pain. Sometimes a frenzied call for help pierces the death-like stillness of the waning day." He grinned. "I said her body was never found, but on occasion, her presence has been seen appearing in the form of eerie lights in the upstairs windows, and the aforementioned cries on a dark and foggy night." He finished talking, leaving a silence in the lighthouse interior, as he retook his seat, looking directly at Chloe.

"Bullshit," she spat. "I never heard any of that."

"Maybe," he said, "maybe not. Who knows, right?" He stood up and crossed the room quickly, kneeling down in front of the punk. "But I'll tell you this for nothing. That girl may or may not be haunting this lighthouse and crying out. Nobody really knows. But after tonight, there _will_ be a spirit haunting and crying out in anguished pain. Yours." As he finished talking, he looked up as the wind began to really buffet the structure. "Odd," he said. "There was nothing forecast." He opened the door, took a quick look outside, then closed the door. "Change of plan," he said, smiling. "The lighthouse won't be claiming a victim tonight, but the storm will. A terrible accident. Such a shame, taking the life of a poor young girl, just coming into her prime. Ah well," he said, climbing the stairs and switching off the light. "I'll be back soon. Don't go anywhere, will you?" He chuckled as he headed upstairs, out of view and earshot.

"Max?" whispered Chloe. "Max, he's gone. You can come out now."

Max opened one eye and looked around the room. "You sure?" she croaked, her voice betraying the experience she had just gone through.

"I'm sure, Maxi-pad."

"Don't call me that," said Max, forcing a smile.

"Attagirl," said Chloe, "welcome back." She paused and drew a breath. "Max, I know that was difficult for you, but I'm really proud of the way you handled that. I could see you, eyes closed, lips moving. You were really trying to block him out."

"It didn't work too well."

"I disagree. Once he'd gone, you recovered a lot quicker than before. I'd say it worked." She smiled. "I'm so proud of you, Max-a-million."

The warmth in Chloe's voice found its place in Max's heart, and she found herself unable to stop smiling. "Thanks, Chloe," she said, quietly. "That means a lot."

"Any time, Maximus," said Chloe. "However, we don't have long before he's back. You have any ideas on how to get out of here?"

"Actually," said Max, weakly. "I think I might."


	48. 47 Give em hell!

"Any sign of her?" David Madsen struggled to sit up, but only succeeded in starting another coughing fit that wracked his side with shooting pain. His wife, by his side, just looked at him with a very neutral expression on her face. Neutral, that is, unless you were David Madsen and knew exactly what that neutral expression meant.

"David Madsen," she said, her voice betraying her concern, "you will lay back down at once. You hear me?" He nodded, after he'd finished coughing. He held his side and grimaced as he lay back down on the bed, sighing as his head hit the pillow and the pain slowly bled away.

"I feel so useless," he said, and his wife nodded.

"I know, honey," she said, "but we need you well and strong, right?" Her expression hardened. "I won't have you prolonging your recuperation because you were too obstinate and bloody-minded to let yourself heal properly. Am I making myself clear?"

"Crystal," he sighed. "I know, Joyce. I know I can't do anything, and I _know_ I have to just lie here and heal. But dammit, it's nigh-on impossible to do that, knowing my daugh… knowing Chloe is out there somewhere! Missing. Afraid. And I'm not there to protect her!"

"David, I know all this," said Joyce, her face softening as she pressed a damp cloth to her husband's forehead, then wiping the corner of his mouth.

"And you… doing this," he said. "It's like I can't take care of myself." He mumbled something as Joyce wiped his mouth.

"Sorry dear, what was that?"

"I said it's embarrassing," he mumbled again, somewhat reluctantly. Joyce merely smiled, her warm, genuine smile that Chloe and Max knew so well.

"Why? Because your loving and doting wife is here to take care of you?"

"I'm supposed to be the one taking care of you."

"David Madsen, last time I looked, I was your wife. That makes you my husband."

"I… yes, that's right."

"And a marriage is a partnership, right?" Joyce stood, hands in her hips. "You take care of me, and I take care of you." She sat back down and caressed his cheek, causing David to smile involuntarily at the delicate touch. "You need me right now, David Madsen, and I intend to live up to my vows. So stop complaining and let me do what I want to do. Okay?" He nodded, seeing the flash of fire in her eyes, and he smiled.

"Deal," he said, "but it doesn't make it any easier."

"I know, hon," she said, "and believe me, I want Chloe and Max back just as much as you do."

"We should be out there…"

"I heard from Kate," said Joyce. "Such a sweet girl. She's persuaded a few of their friends to help in the search." Joyce sighed. "I'd like to say I know my daughter best, but…" she paused to wipe a solitary tear from her eye. "But I don't. Not any more. Her friends know her best. They'll know where to look. My place is here, by your side."

"And that policeman?"

"Daniels? That's what I was going to tell you about. He contacted me. Seems he went to search the Prescott mansion."

"Really?" David chuckled, causing another mini coughing fit in the process. "Didn't think he had the balls to do that. Nice one. Did he find anything?"

"No. Place was clean as a whistle."

"I don't believe that," said David, smiling grimly, "but he's right. Sean would be an idiot if Nathan and Jefferson had gone anywhere near that place. Even with the police department under his belt, he'd have had difficulty explaining away that one. Well, at least he went up there and had a look around. Any other news?"

"Not yet," said Joyce. Her neutral expression had gone, replaced by one of concern. "I'm worried, David. I'm worried that Chloe and Max are caught up in something way beyond them." Her lip began trembling. "I can't lose my little girl," she said, finally unable to control her emotions as tears began falling, "not after William, I just…" Immediately, David sat up, ignoring the pain and coughing and pulled her close. Her weight against him pushed him back down on the bed, but she didn't struggle, just allowed him to hold her safe while she cried. He stroked the back of her head until finally she calmed down. She kissed him tenderly on his forehead and sat back down on the chair.

"You won't lose her," growled David. "I'll make sure of that." He looked around him at the hospital room. "Not entirely sure how I'm going to achieve that from in here, but I'll find a way." He pointed to the table. "Could you pass me the phone, please?" He suddenly noticed that Joyce was no longer by his side. "What is it, love?"

"David…" Joyce was over by the window. "Do you remember anyone saying anything about the weather?"

"No… wait, didn't the girls say something vague about something?"

"It's getting really dark out there, David. The wind… it's… David, it looks really bad." The phone began ringing at that moment and David snatched it up.

"Chloe?" His face fell when he realised it wasn't her. "Oh hi, Kate." At the sound of her name, Joyce immediately motioned for the phone. David passed it across and Joyce immediately marched to the window, the phone clamped to her ear.

"Kate, hon, have you found her?"

"Sorry, no, Mrs Madsen, we haven't. We're still looking, and Victoria thinks we may know somewhere she might be."

"Where?"

"The lighthouse. We're going there now. But that's not why I'm ringing. I'm ringing about the storm."

"Storm?" Joyce's face fell as she looked at the dark clouds over the bay.

"Look, I don't know if Chloe or Max said anything concrete, but… look, this is going to sound really weird, but please, Mrs Madsen, you have to believe me."

"Kate… just say it."

"I… there's a storm coming, Mrs Madsen. A bad one."

"How bad?" David began motioning wildly, but Joyce shook her head and turned her back on him as she continued to look out of the window.

"It's going to be a tornado, Mrs Madsen. A big one. It'll form out in the bay and will destroy most of the town."

"Kate, are you… high?"

"Mrs Madsen, I'm perfectly serious. Please, you have to believe me."

"A tornado?" Behind Joyce, David shot up in bed, crying out from the pain at the word 'tornado'. "I mean, it's looking dark, but…"

"Mrs Madsen, I know you don't really know me, but I'm really serious about this. I didn't believe Max and Chloe at first, but they convinced me. There's a tornado coming, and it'll be here soon. We've been down on the beach earlier and… it's really scary down here. Please, Mrs Madsen, Chloe would never forgive me if I didn't warn you. You need to get out of the hospital. Right now. Please, take your husband and get to safety. Not your house, it's not safe there."

"Kate, I…"

" _Please_ , Mrs Madsen." It was obvious that Kate had started crying, and, try as she might, Joyce couldn't hear any deceit in her voice.

"But… but what about you and…"

"We'll be fine," said Kate. "The lighthouse area is safe, apparently, we're on our way up there now." Joyce heard another voice on the phone, quieter, and Kate stopped talking. "Yes," she said, coming back on the phone, "I think I know the way."

"Kate… are you driving?"

"Yes, Mrs Madsen. Victoria's holding the phone. She was… she got hurt down on the beach. Nothing bad, but she just can't drive at the moment. I wanted to talk to you, rather than Victoria."

"Why?"

"Well, because Victoria doesn't have the best of reputations at the moment, although she's really changed over the last couple of days, and I thought you'd have a hard enough time believing me, let alone her." Kate paused, and Joyce could hear the tick-tick of the indicator. "Mrs Madsen, please believe me. I need to know you'll be safe. And Mr Madsen, too."

Joyce dropped her head. "Okay," she said, defeated. "I'll believe you. Your story is too ludicrous to be untrue." Her voice hardened. "But this could affect David's recuperation. If I find out you've been lying to me…"

"I promise you I haven't," said Kate. "I couldn't say anything earlier, because there's no way you'd have believed me. At least now you can see the storm coming."

"What about everyone else?"

"Does the hospital have a storm bun…" Kate stopped talking. "Of course they do. Look, see if you can convince people to get down there. You too."

"And just how am I supposed to do that, hon?"

"People know you, right?"

"Well, I'd like to think so. After all, the Two Whales is…" Joyce stopped talking as her face fell into a mask of horror. "The Two Whales." She took a deep breath. "Kate, thanks for calling. I'm going to have to go now. I'll… just stay safe, please."

"But…" Kate's voice stopped as Joyce ended the call.

"Joyce…" At her husband's voice, she turned.

"David, I know how stupid this sounds, but Kate was totally believable. And looking at those clouds out there…"

"But Joyce, a tornado?"

"I know how it sounds. But do you want to take the chance she's wrong?" Joyce frantically dialled and tapped her foot on the floor as she waited for an answer. Finally, a voice did answer.

"Two Whales…"

"Sandra, it's me."

"Oh, hi Joyce."

"Listen, I want you to do something for me, and I want you to do it _now!_ No questions asked, okay?"

"Um, sure, Joyce. What do you want?"

"You need to close and lock up, and get somewhere safe. Away from the beach."

"Joyce, what are…"

"Sandra, I said no questions, right? Just do it. Promise me now. Close up. Lock up and get away from the beach."

"But why…"

"There's a storm heading for you, and you need to get out of there. _Now!_ "

It took a little more persuading (bullying), but Joyce finally rang off and began breathing again. She turned to David. "Right, we need to get you down to the bunker." She began pacing around. "How the hell am I going to convince anyone?" she muttered, then looked out of the window again. The black clouds were congregating alarmingly quickly out in the bay, and it was obvious that the wind, even up at the hospital, had picked up. The flag was whipping around, and the flagpole itself and the trees dotted around the hospital grounds were beginning to bend at an angle she hadn't seen for a long time. "Maybe it won't be as tough as I first imagined," she said to herself, then turned back to her husband. "Can you move?"

"Not really," he said, grimacing, "but I'll have to, won't I?" Joyce nodded.

"I need to go and speak to a few people," she said. "I'll be right back, okay?"

David nodded. "Go give 'em hell, Joyce," he said as his wife left the room.


	49. 48 Truth and Rain

"It's raining."

Jefferson had turned the lights off again, and both Max and Chloe were in darkness once more, and this time it was taking a little longer for their eyes to adjust. In the meantime, the sounds of the storm had redoubled their efforts against the walls of the lighthouse and now, in addition to the whirling wind whipping around the structure and through the trees, was the constant drumming of heavy rain beating against the lighthouse exterior. And it wasn't just rain, either, the volume of the sound could only mean _huge_ raindrops smashing against the lighthouse. It wasn't deafening, not yet, but Max realised she couldn't whisper any longer if she wanted Chloe to hear her.

"No shit, Sherlock," said Chloe. "It sounds like it's _really_ going for it out there." There was a short pause, then she continued. "Tell me what you saw. I mean, in your vision of the storm. You said you were here?"

Max closed her eyes. "You sure?"

"Please, Max. It could help."

…

 _The darkness was suffocating as the thunder exploded overhead. The wind whipped stinging shards of icy rain against the girl's exposed cheek as she lay motionless on the muddy ground. Thunder exploded once more, this time accompanying a sheet of neon-white lightning, illuminating the ground and the trees, bending dangerously but putting up a solid fight to stay upright._

 _The girl cautiously opened her eyes, taking in the sodden mud just centimetres from her face. Drawing in a shuddering breath, she slowly rose, all the while looking around, her eyes flicking left to right and back again quickly, like a rabbit caught in the headlights._

 _She looked around, trying to get her bearing. Everything seemed unfamiliar. Another peal thundered overhead and she automatically looked up. Her eyes widened at a familiar sight._

 _She finally found her feet and began to move, taking cautious steps forward as she lifted her left hand in front of her face, a futile attempt to ward off the storm. The wind whipped the rain and leaves around her in a great whirling dervish as she stumbled up the wooden log steps that led to safety. Ahead, the trees parted to reveal the cliff edge and the lighthouse, and her gaze fell upon…_

 _Holy shit!_

 _… a massive tornado, bigger than the whole town, sucking up water as it whirled and danced its way towards the coastal town of Arcadia Bay. Straining her eyes as she stumbled forward, she could make out cars, houses, debris as they were ripped from the streets in the distance, fodder for the enormous maw that was slowly bearing down upon it. She looked up at the lighthouse, standing proudly as it had done for so many years, its light sweeping slowly around the Oregon bay. As it illuminated the tornado, her gaze was caught by a small object whirling around the outside of the storm._

 _A small boat, sucked up by the storm and rapidly gaining speed, it whirled around the storm twice before finally escaping its grasp and heading directly for the lighthouse. The girl was frozen to the spot, unable to do anything bar watch as the boat smashed into the top of the lighthouse while thunder crashed overhead. The noise was too much and she clapped her hands over her ears and she watched in horror as the boat tore through the lighthouse like tissue paper. With a groan, the light winked out and the entire mechanism slowly toppled and fell, heading straight for her. Frozen in terror, all she could do was watch helplessly as the giant light bore down on her._

…

"It was at that point I woke up," said Max, "and found myself in Jeffershit's class. He was droning on about…"

 _"Seriously though, I could frame any one of you in a dark corner, and capture you in a moment of desperation. And any one of you could do that to me. Isn't that too easy? Too obvious?"_

"Max?" Chloe's voice pierced her thoughts and brought her back to reality.

"Sorry, I was just remembering," said Max, shivering at the memory. "Fuck! He was… he was taunting us. Talking about how he could frame any one of us in a dark corner, capturing us in a moment of desperation." She shivered again. "I mean, I never thought about it at the time, but now, looking back, he was basically _telling_ us what he was doing!"

"That sick son-of-a…"

"Yeah. I know, Chloe. He was just taunting us. I know something you don't know, that sort of thing."

"Except now we know, Max."

"Yeah, Chloe. Now we know." Max fell silent, absorbed in her own thoughts for a few minutes while Chloe digested the contents of her vision. Finally, Chloe spoke up once more.

"So, it was raining, the wind was whipping through the trees…"

"… and this lighthouse gets destroyed. Yeah, I fucking know, Chloe!" said Max, between gritted teeth. "It's hard enough, without you…"

"Max, calm down, dude," said Chloe. "Let me finish. You saw the tornado in the bay when the lighthouse gets hit, right?"

"Chloe, where are you going with this? You want me to relive it _again?_ "

"Max, come on, just run with me here, okay? There's a point to this." Chloe was forcing herself to stay calm for her girlfriend.

Max audibly sighed. "Okay, Chloe," she said, patiently. "Yes, the tornado was in the bay."

"So we can assume that it had been building for a while."

"I guess."

"So the lighthouse won't get hit just yet, so we're okay for a little while," said Chloe.

"What?"

"In your vision, the lighthouse was hit when the storm was raging, and had been for some time. It hasn't been raining all that long, so we've a little while before we're in any real danger from the storm, okay?" When Max didn't reply immediately, she continued. "You understand, dude?"

"Um, yeah, I think," said Max, doubtfully. "But it's not exactly a reason to celebrate. I mean, so we're not going to die from the storm just yet."

"Max, come on, it's something positive to hold on to."

"Chloe, get real! Positive? So the storm's not going to kill us right away. We'll survive a little longer and it will kill us later, or Jeffershit will. Or Nathan. Lots of _vastly fucking different ways to die!_ We're so spoilt for choice!" Chloe was stunned by Max's outburst, and silence fell on the girls again for several minutes, until Chloe spoke once more.

"Max you have to pull yourself together, dude," she said, trying to keep her voice calm, but inside she was trembling. "I know you've been through shit that nobody should have gone through, and I know things look hopeless, but we're together, and together we can conquer the world, right?"

"What?"

"We can conquer the world, together," repeated Chloe, but Max wasn't having it.

"Chloe, we were ten!" she hissed. "And running around the beach burying treasure. This is a bit fucking different, don't you think?" Chloe's heart broke at the sound of Max's voice. It sounded… defeated.

"Max…"

"No, Chloe, it's no use. We're gonna die," said Max, her voice now flat and lifeless. "It's no use fighting any more. It's over."

"It's _not_ over!" shouted Chloe. "I don't hear no fat lady singing, Max. There's no _way_ this is over. I won't allow it!"

"You won't allow it?"

"Got that fucking right!"

"And who are you to say what's allowed or not?" Both girls were getting wound up now.

"I'm your girlfriend!" shouted Chloe. "I love you!"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"Then we'll die together, Chloe, that's all there is to it."

"You're right," said Chloe, her voice dropping in pitch. At her admission, all the wind was taken out of Max's sails and she wasn't sure how to respond. "We will die together," she said, "but not today. Today is not a good day to die."

"Really?"

"What?" Chloe feigned ignorance.

"You give me a Star Trek reference. Now, of all times?"

In the darkness, Chloe shrugged. "Seemed like it fit."

There was silence for a long moment, then, "it did."

Chloe's heart warmed slightly. "Max, we can't give up," she said, over the cacophony of sound that was the rain and wind outside, coupled with the odd creaking as the lighthouse structure took a beating. "We have to keep fighting, all the way." She sighed. "It looks bad, I'll give you that much. But we _are_ together, where we belong. If we die, we will die. Together. But I'm not ready to give up just yet." She paused. "Max, I'm not ready to give _you_ up just yet."

"Chloe…" Max's voice was almost unintelligible amongst the sounds outside.

"I love you, Max. I want to be with you, grow old with you, do all the things with you that we can." She took a deep breath. "But I can't do it alone. We're a team, you and me. Both of us, together…"

"… in perfect harmony."

"Yeah." Chloe smiled, knowing Max couldn't see her. "Exactly." A thought struck her. "Max, didn't you say earlier you had a kind of a plan to get us out of here?

…

The rain was hitting the windscreen so heavily that the raindrops themselves were breaking up and splattering on the glass. The wipers were only just managing to do their job at keeping the windshield clear and the road ahead visible as Kate drove. She was driving far slower than she would usually, mainly because it wasn't her car, it was an expensive car, and visibility ahead and conditions were so poor that she was constantly afraid she'd lose control of the powerful vehicle. To her credit, Victoria, sat next to her in the passenger seat, hadn't commented at all on her driving.

"Do you think she believed you?" asked Victoria, as she put the phone away.

"I think so," said Kate, peering forward into the gloom, "eventually. I mean, it sounds crazy, doesn't it?"

"You needed to tell her, though." Victoria sounded adamant. "And you're right. She'd never have believed me. You put it so eloquently on the phone, bad reputation and all, but basically I'm a pile of shit and lie through my teeth." She grinned. "And yes, I'm searching for an uplifting compliment here."

"Tori," sighed Kate, completely missing her friend's last sentence, "I wish you wouldn't constantly put yourself down like that." She risked a quick glance across to her friend, then concentrated on the road ahead once more. "You know you're a different person, a better person now than you were last week, you know the sort of person you used to be, there's no need to keep beating yourself up over it. And me, I don't like to hear you put yourself down, okay? You're worth far more than that."

"Kate…"

"Don't 'Kate' me, Tori. You're a good person, and you're my friend, and I won't have you constantly beating yourself up. Okay?"

 _Wow, she really…_

"Okay Kate," said Victoria. "Thanks." She pointed ahead. "Now, keep driving. We're not far from the turn now."

"Yeah, it's a little further up on the left, right?"

"Left right?" Victoria laughed, eliciting a giggle from Kate as well. "Just left, Kate," she said, smiling.

"Yeah, the rain's making it difficult to see."

"We'll have to leave the car, as well," said Victoria. "Once we're off the road, there's no way it'll make the journey in this rain. We'll just get stuck, so we'll need to…" Victoria sighed. "I'm going to get soaked, aren't I?"

"Probably."

"Probably?"

"Definitely," said Kate. "I am, as well."

"Dammit," said Victoria. "I knew I shouldn't have worn this cashmere." She sighed. "Oh well, I guess I'll just have to get a new one after this is all over." She looked across at Kate. "What?"

Kate shook her head. "Sometimes, Tori," she said, "I just don't understand you. We're trying to rescue our friends, and you're concerned with ruining a sweater?"

"It's not a sweater, it's…"

"Tori, please, for once, quit with the materialistic stuff, okay? I _know_ you have way more money than I do, and I know you like to let people know you have money, but you really don't have to do it with me, okay?" Kate blinked twice. "I know you think I'm some sort of religious zealot, with the abstinence and all that, but I'm just a teenager, like you. I like things, too. I like clothes, I like doing my hair, watching Disney movies. I like reading books, like Lovecraft, Bradbury and King. I like having stuff, too, but I don't have a load of money to buy things. You know, I have two sisters, and I've learned I can't have everything I want. I have to share. I have to choose carefully what I spend my money on, and that has given me an outlook on life that really shows me the value in things. And so I know what value things are. I know the value of friendship, and I know the friendships that are worth working on." She looked across at Victoria, who was busily wiping tears from her eyes. " _You_ , Tori. Your friendship is so important to me right now. You know what? I don't want you to buy me things, I don't _want_ your friendship because of your money or power. I _want_ to be friends with the girl I've grown to know over the last few days. The girl who's really quite vulnerable, almost as much as I am, the girl who really doesn't know the meaning of true love and friendship. _That's_ the girl I want to be friends with."

Victoria was taken aback by the voracity of Kate's little monologue. "Kate, I…" she said, her eyes filling with tears again, "I want to be the person you want me to be," she said, "but I don't know that I can."

"No, Tori, you don't get it," said Kate, keeping her eyes firmly on the road ahead. "I don't want you to be the person you think I want you to be… is that right?" She shook her head. "Anyway, I don't want that. I just want you to be _you_. The girl I've… the girl I'm friends with, the girl I've gotten to know over the last couple of days. You, Tori. Don't be anyone else, just be yourself. Please?"

Victoria smiled warmly despite her tears. "Kate," she said, "I don't know if I can suddenly throw away years of bitchiness and just be… well, you know, but I can try. I think if you're with me, helping me when I fall, and I will fall, multiple times, then perhaps there's hope for the two of us."

"That's all I can ask for," said Kate.

"Then I guess we can be… friends?"

"Friends. And don't say anything like 'oh, I'm not used to that', okay? You need to start liking yourself again, Tori," said Kate, then, after a noticeable pause, "because I do," she continued, rather shyly. Her face slowly began to blush, and she concentrated on looking ahead, neither girl saying anything, or knowing what to say, until they reached the turn, which Kate nearly missed until Victoria pointed it out.

Kate made the turn slowly and left the main road. The trail from the road to the lighthouse wasn't a massively long one, but, as they'd already decided, Kate parked the car in the car park and turned off the engine. Immediately, the windscreen filled with rain and Victoria turned to Kate.

"You sure about this?"

"We have to, Tori," said Kate. "Max and Chloe need us."

"But what if they're not there?"

"Then we'll get wet, but we'll get wet together," said Kate, smiling and still blushing slightly. She made the first move, opening the door and getting out of the car. Within a few seconds, she was wet through, such was the force of the rain and Victoria soon followed her. Kate passed across the car keys and the two girls just looked at each other for a few moments.

"Well, I guess we can't actually get any wetter," said Victoria, "so we're through the worst of it." Kate just looked at her open-mouthed, then started giggling uncontrollably. It was infectious, and Victoria soon joined her, the giggling turning into full-fledge laughter. Once they'd calmed down, they took a look at the trail. It was running with water, and Kate nodded, the water cascading off her forehead over her eyes like a waterfall. "Good call, Tori," she said. "There's no way we'd have been able to drive up here."

Victoria held out her hand to the younger girl. "Come on, Kate," she said. "Let's go find our friends."


	50. 49 Last Photograph

"So, you _are_ going to kill me?"

"My dear, I have already allowed you that much," said Jefferson, smiling. "And," he continued, shrugging, "as I said earlier, plans change. Who was it that said that a plan never survives contact with the enemy? Oh, you're still going to die," he said at Chloe's raised eyebrows, "it's just the manner of your passing will be… slightly altered. Sorry," he finished, "but, I'm sure you'll agree, an accident will be far better than a cold-blooded murder." He smiled, but Chloe simply shook her head.

"I don't care how you think you see it," she hissed, "but it's still a cold-blooded fucking murder. A dog is a dog and will always be a dog, no matter how much you want it to be a cat."

"True," conceded Jefferson, still smiling, "but that'll just be between you and me. And you'll be dead." He stood and walked to the bottom of the stairs. "Nathan!" he called up, and there was an answering shout a few moments later. "Come on, we need to go!" he called, and a minute later Nathan climbed slowly down the stairs. Chloe took note of everything she could see.

Chloe Price had always been observant, and a girl with a good memory, for both the good things and the bad. Her father, William, was always showing her things, telling her little facts about this and that, safe in the knowledge that they'd be remembered. Plus, he knew how much she enjoyed imparting her new knowledge upon her best friend at every possible opportunity. And even though William was dead and buried, deep down inside her, his ideals and teachings were not, and now that Max was back and she was turning her life around (even if it was about to end, which, although she wasn't determined not to admit it, was looking increasingly likely), those same ideals were re-awakening within her. And so she looked around the room, looked at Jefferson, at Max, her eyes screwed shut in her chair, trying to control her breathing, and at the hateful young man in the light brown leather coat climbing down the stairs. She noticed that he climbed down very slowly, totally refusing to look at, or even acknowledge the fact there were two girls tied up in the room. Nothing overt about it, just the look on his face as he turned his face to avoid seeing. A look of… what was it? Glee? No, he definitely didn't look like he was taking any pleasure from what he saw. Embarrassment? Possibly. It was certainly an uncomfortable expression. A small piece of information she filed away for later.

Of course, that would depend on whether she would still be around to make use of it. A possibility that was quickly vanishing, although she'd never had admitted that to anyone had she been asked.

She was going to stay alive right up to the very last second. For her. For Max.

At least Jefferson wasn't going to kill Max.

But then again, he was intent on breaking her soul completely, taking her love, and her capacity to love and to reason away from her.

Then again, he could be lying. Not like he hasn't done that before. Once she was gone, what would stop him from just…

 _No! Stop thinking like that. Just concentrate on doing everything possible. No giving up, Price! No fucking way!_

"Ah, you're here," said Jefferson, as Nathan reached the ground floor. "Good. Take the stuff and put it in the car, would you?" Nathan nodded dumbly, picking up the two duffel bags from the ground and opening the door. It took an effort to push the door open, and Chloe could instantly see why. The wind was whipping around, pressing the door against its frame, but as soon as Nathan managed to get it open a crack, the wind picked it and crashed it open, nearly wrenching Nathan's shoulder as he struggled to stay on his feet. As the door was flung open, the storm also forced its way into the lighthouse, the wind howling a top volume as Jefferson fought with Nathan to hold the door. Eventually, the managed to get the door closed once more, Nathan panting with the effort, and Jefferson quickly re-appraising the situation. Chloe's eyes were streaming from the strength of the wind, and she could barely see, blinking furiously to try and clean them up.

"Nathan, we need to act quickly," said Jefferson, sizing up the situation in a hurry. "Once you're outside, you'll be fine as long as you don't go near the edge. Just take the bags to the car, then come back. We need to finish up here with these two, then we can be on our way. You with me?" Nathan just nodded dumbly still panting slightly from the effort of holding the door.

Once more, Jefferson released the door, fighting with the wind for control as Nathan picked up the two duffel bags, heaved them onto his shoulders and quickly plodded (if that was possible) his way outside. He gripped the bags securely with his hands, accepted the car keys from Jefferson, then he was gone, and Jefferson was fighting to close the door once more. Eventually, he managed to secure it, although he wasn't as cool and collected as the previous time. He raised his eyebrows and looked over at Chloe, who was once more blinking her eyes furiously.

"Wow!" he said, nodding at the door. "Wind's really getting up." He chuckled. "Easiest thing in the world to get blown off the cliff, don't you think?"

"You _could_ just do the world a favour and, you know, slip, or fall, or…" she said, sardonically. "As you said, easiest thing in the world…"

"I don't think so," said Jefferson, grinning, "but nice try." He looked around, muttering to himself. "Nothing left here, I've checked everything, Nathan's taken the bags, just need to clear up a couple of loose ends…" He looked up. "Right," he said, still looking around, "now it's your turn." He reached inside his jacket, pulled out a handgun and pointed it at Chloe. "Okay," he said. "Now then, you'll behave, and you won't do anything stupid."

"Or what? You'll kill me?"

Jefferson grinned. "You don't quite get it," he said. "You'll die either way, but there are some ways that last a lot longer and hurt a lot more, understand?" He shook his head. "See, the worst thing about all this is that people now think of me as a monster." He shrugged. "I'm really not, you know. I'm just an artist. I don't like killing, I don't like hurting people, so I'd really rather you behaved and I can end things quickly and painlessly for you." His smile vanished. "But don't make the mistake of underestimating me. I'm quite prepared to prolong things. So, will you behave yourself?"

"Bite me, you fucker!" spat Chloe.

"What a lovely mouth," he said, shaking his head. "Fine. Be like that, then. Behave or Max will get hurt."

"You wouldn't!" hissed Chloe, her whole body suddenly shivering at the new threat. "You wouldn't dare!" she repeated, but she knew his threat was not an empty one.

"Try me," he said. "You can apologise to her headstone later." He paused, grinning. "Oh wait, you won't have time, will you?" His face returned to its previous hard, seriousness. "Don't make the mistake, Chloe," he said. "Behave yourself, or Max will get hurt as well as you."

 _Stay alive as long as possible. Save Max._

"Okay," she said, but very reluctantly, and without hiding her loathing for the man standing in front of her. He kept his gun trained on her as he quickly slit through the bonds with a pocket knife. It didn't look like the sort of knife he'd carry, though. It looked far… younger. Red handle with a well-polished metallic finish. In fact, it looked more like the sort of implement that Nathan would carry, along with his gun. Chloe let him cut her bonds, and then spent a few moments rubbing her wrists and ankles, flexing them to try and return the circulation.

"Free Max," he said, stepping back to put distance between them. "And remember, don't do anything you'll regret." His voice was as ice, his eyes boring into Chloe, unblinking. "In fact, make sure her hands are retied behind her back."

"Dude, you don't have to repeat yourself," she hissed. "I understood perfectly the first time you said it." She stood and walked over to Max. Instinctively, she put her hand on the top of her girlfriend's head, gently stroking it. "Ssh," she whispered, "don't be afraid, Max. I got this." Almost imperceptibly, Max nodded as Chloe knelt down to undo her bonds. As she did so, Max also rubbed and flexed her wrists and ankles, then awkwardly stood. She opened her eyes and looked at Chloe, the merest hint of a smile on her lips. Then she cleared her throat.

"Yes, Max?" said Jefferson, obviously surprised.

"I was…" Max's voice sounded hoarse and uncertain. "I wanted to ask if I could have a last request," she said. "Before you re-tie me."

"You want a last request?" Jefferson actually smiled at this and walked over. Chloe noticed how Max's body stiffened at the proximity, but felt great pride at the way Max was able to partially overcome her trauma. "Pray, tell me what it is."

"Always take the shot," said Max, stumbling a little over her words.

"What?"

"That's what you taught me, right? Always take the shot."

"Yes, but…"

"I'd like to take a final photograph," she said. "After you… murder my best friend, I'm never going to take another photograph as long as I live, so I'd like something to remember her by." Max's eyes had filled with tears, but Chloe, knowing Max's ploy, felt her heart fill with warmth and pride. "She looked down at her camera, sitting in her bag. "May I?"

"You're going to give up your gift?" said Jefferson, shocked.

"I am," said Max. She was speaking quite matter-of-factly, the normalcy of her voice shocked even Chloe. "I know what you're going to do," she said, shrugging. "And once you… murder Chloe in front of me, I know I'll never be able to take another photo, so I'd like my last one to be special. I don't want to forget Chloe."

"Good point," said Jefferson. "You need to remember everything that happens today. You need to remember it, to ensure that it never happens again." He bent down and picked up the camera, passing it to Max. "Always take the shot," he said. "Use your gift."

With trembling hands, Max raised the camera to her eyeline. She looked at Chloe, standing in front of her as she assumed a special pose. She was standing with legs apart in a classic model stance, one hip higher than the other, arms folded across her chest, and with a small smirk on her lips. She saw Max looking at her and blew her a small kiss, noting Max's small smile in response. Max concentrated, looking intently through the viewfinder in order to frame Chloe perfectly. She was aware of Jefferson watching her critically. She took a half-step backwards, bringing Chloe into focus and gently massaged the shutter. The familiar _click-whirr_ brought a wave of nostalgia washing over her before the camera spat the photo out. She caught it and shook it twice before putting the camera away again. Before she could take a look at the photo, though, Jefferson had taken it and was gazing critically at it.

"Not bad, Max," he said, nodding. "Not bad at all. I like how you've framed Chloe perfectly in the left third of the photograph, leaving room for the lighthouse interior. You've also captured the lighting well, of course, white balance is difficult on an instant camera, but you've compensated well." He pursed his lips. "Are you sure this will be your last photograph?"

"I'm sure," said Max.

"You'd let your gift go to waste?"

"Not at all," said Max. "I could never use it again, because of the terrible memories that would surface." She looked straight at Jefferson with hatred. "And it's all because of you."

"Ah well," said the former teacher with an understanding nod. "It's probably for the best, then." He handed back the photograph to Max without a word. As he did so, the door was flung open and Nathan walked back in, closing the door behind him with an effort.

"Ah, good timing, Nathan," said Jefferson. "Everything ready?"

Nathan nodded. "It's got worse out there," he said. "It's a proper storm." It seemed like he was having trouble breathing. "There's a… a tornado out there."

" _What?_ " Jefferson couldn't conceal his surprise.

"A tornado," repeated the young man. "Out in the bay."

"Arcadia doesn't have tornadoes," said Jefferson. "You must be mistaken."

"Look for yourself," said Nathan, sullenly. "It's definitely a tornado." He looked towards the door. "A big one. A huge one." He went and sat on the stairs. "I've never seen anything like it. We need to go." He looked towards the door again, licking his lips, his demeanour betraying his nervousness. "We need to go now."


	51. 50 Goodbye, Chloe

Even though Nathan had described the tornado as huge, and Chloe already knew from conversations with Max about the previous week that it was big enough to wipe out Arcadia, there was no way she could prepare herself for the actual view of the storm.

After having struggled out of the door (and leaving it open, and the doomed lighthouse at the mercy of the elements), Chloe had led the four outside. However, she'd only managed to climb outside and forward a few steps before the ferociousness of the storm assaulted her.

The wind was like a giant wall of ice. It was cold, solid and impassable. But it was more than that. It was _alive_. It reached out to Chloe, grasping her with its icy hands, burrowing deep into her body, freezing her from inside, pushing her back and making her bend into the wind to avoid being blown off her feet.

And there was the rain. When they were inside the lighthouse, the rain was making a good racket against the walls of the structure, but, even after listening to it, Chloe found herself completely unprepared for the naked viciousness of the rainstorm. It was sheeting down in slabs, huge raindrops that were exploding as they hit the solid ground. Huge raindrops that hurt when they hit you and, within a few moments of being outside, Chloe was completely drenched and freezing. She wrapped her arms around herself in a vain effort to keep warm, but to no avail. She could also see, through eyes blurred with the rain cascading off her eyebrows like some sort of demented Niagara Falls, Max, shivering, her own arms tied behind her, stumbling forward as she tried to stay upright. More than once she fell, but Nathan was there to keep her upright.

The tornado itself was huge. Nathan had alluded as much, but it took Chloe actually seeing it to register just how much trouble Arcadia was in. It was like a giant maw, sucking everything and everyone up without remorse or a second thought.

Hungry, that was the best word to describe it. Hungry. Insatiable. Mindless.

And huge. The size was almost incomprehensible, taking up most of the bay.

She was brought back to reality with Jefferson calling her name.

"Ms Price!" he shouted, motioning to her and she looked up, her eyes streaming. "If you wouldn't mind," he said, pointing to the edge of the cliff.

"If you seriously think I'm going to do you any favours," she screamed, "you're even more insane than I gave you credit for."

"Insane?" said Jefferson, smiling in spite of the weather, "my dear, I'm not insane."

"I think we'll have to agree to disagree on that," said Chloe. "I'm not helping you kill me. In no lifetime would that ever be a thing." In response, Jefferson merely raised his eyebrows and pointed the gun at Max. Immediately, Chloe's heart sank.

 _If Max dies, it's all over._

"Wait," she said, her voice cracking, whether from emotion or the strain of shouting through the storm, she wasn't sure. "Don't hurt her."

"Then you know what to do," said Jefferson. "And do it quickly, we don't have much time." He looked up at the tornado, settling in the bay.

"If I do this…"

"No!" yelled Max.

"… you won't hurt her?" asked Chloe. It pained her to ignore her girlfriend, but she was thinking ahead. Far ahead.

"You have my word," said Jefferson.

"Forgive me, but that doesn't count for much," said Chloe.

"True," he said, smiling, "but that's all you're getting." Chloe thought for a moment, then dropped her head, nodding in defeat.

"Ok," she said, "you…"

"…No!"

"…win." She looked sadly at Max, who refused to meet her gaze, then she looked back at the smiling teacher. "Could I have a last moment with my friend?" she asked, then, putting a slight hint of desperation in her voice. "Please?" Jefferson looked at her with a quizzical eyebrow, then nodded.

"Be quick," he said, then he and Nathan moved away to give the friends some space, the gun still trained on Max. Chloe quickly crossed over to Max, who pointedly turned away from her, refusing to even acknowledge her presence.

"Max, come on," said Chloe. She moved in front of Max, but again, Max turned away. Aware they were being watched, she tried again. "Max, baby, please look at me." She paused, as Max still looked away. "Please?" she repeated, and Max finally turned to her, but without saying anything. However, her tear-streaked eyes told the whole story. "Maxi-pad," she said, again, trying to smile, "you need to be strong, yeah?" Max looked up into her eyes, and finally spoke, but when she did, her voice was so wooden and devoid of life that it almost broke Chloe's heart. However, she knew she had to stay strong for Max.

"I guess it's karma," said Max. "I leave you, so you leave me."

"Not at all, Max, I…"

"Don't try to justify it, Chloe," she said. "I know."

"No, you don't, Max," said Chloe, urgently. "Look, we don't have much time, so…"

"You don't have much time," said Max. "I have plenty…"

"Max, _snap out of it_ ," hissed Chloe. "Listen to me. I'm doing this for you, remember?"

"Really? Doesn't fucking feel like it," snapped Max, looking directly at her girlfriend. "Because it seems to me you're just leaving me. But it's okay, really. I mean, I guess I know how you felt five years ago now."

"Max…"

"No, it's fine, Chloe," she said. "Go. Just go."

Chloe had had enough. She grabbed Max by the shoulders and shook hard. "Max, snap out of it, for fuck's sake," she hissed. "Don't you see I'm fucking doing this for you?"

"How?"

Chloe sighed. "Max," she said, her voice heavy, "we've got the photograph, remember? Just remember how things go down here, so you can come back and let me know what we need to do to get out of this. Jefferson knows about your power, but not about the photo-thing, yeah? So we still have the upper hand."

"But what if it doesn't work?" said Max, looking up at Chloe for the first time. "I'd be…"

"Max," said Chloe, "it _will_ work. It has to work. As things stand, there's no way out of this."

"But you're gonna leave me…"

"I know baby," said Chloe, pulling Max into a tight embrace, "and know I don't want to, but there's no other choice. If I don't, he'll hurt you, and I need to protect you at all costs. So go. Bring me back and tell me how to finish this fucker off, once and for all, okay?" She held Max tighter, both girls crying freely. "Stay strong, Max-a-million. Stay strong for me. Don't let him win. But don't show him your strength. He needs to believe you're broken, otherwise he'll never let you go. Okay?"

"Okay," sniffed Max.

"Look, I know this won't be easy," she said, "and I hate to do this to you, but this is all on you now. In a few moments, I'll be out." She paused and looked Max directly in her eyes. "I love you, Max. I trust you. I have faith in you." She paused again. "I'll see you again. Soon."

"Count on it!" said Max, trying to smile. Chloe looked at her girlfriend.

"Bring me back, my love," she whispered, her voice carrying on the wind. "And please, love, don't look now."

The two girls parted, Chloe heading for the cliff edge, and Max turning away, her shoulders heaving as she sobbed. Jefferson watched dispassionately as Chloe approached the edge and looked over.

"I don't have all day," he called, and Chloe looked over to him.

"Bite me," she said, her voice lost to the winds as she took a deep breath and sneaked a final look at Max.

 _I'm so sorry, my darling. I can't do any more now. It's all on you._

 _Come on, Chloe, brave up. This isn't the end, and Jefferson's comeuppance will be sweet as fuck._

She took a final deep breath and closed her eyes, shifting her weight forward and stepping out. She felt the wind on her face as she lost her balance. Gravity took over and she kept the image of Max foremost in her mind, concentrating on both that, and her feelings of total love until she hit the rocks below and knew no more.


	52. 51 Exit Stage Left

"Noooo!"

Time slowed down as Chloe stepped off the cliff, gravity taking hold immediately as she plunged out of sight. Max started forward but Nathan quickly ran to stop herself from following her friend. A moment later, there was a dull thud from the beach below and Max sank to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably. Jefferson quickly moved to her side and pointed the gun at her.

"Max, look at me," he commanded, but Max was too far inside her shell to acknowledge. The former photography teacher just stood there, looking at the sobbing girl, shaking uncontrollably on the ground. He waited for several minutes, finally nodding to Nathan, who nodded back. "Max, I'm not a monster," he said. "I didn't kill Chloe, she chose to kill herself to save you." He paused, looking up at the storm. "I'm a man of my word," he continued, looking back at the stricken girl. He turned and, followed by Nathan, they walked off into the forest, leaving Max alone.

 _Chloe._

 _Chloe._

 _Don't leave me…_

…

Five minutes later, Victoria and Kate, stumbling out of the trees, found Max. She was still on her knees, sobbing uncontrollably face-down in the mud, total inconsolable. From careful prompting by Kate, Max pointed over the cliff and Victoria, carefully looking over the edge, saw Chloe's broken body on the beach below. She immediately clapped her hand over her mouth and began crying, stopping Kate from looking over and for several minutes, all three girls cried together.

Suddenly, there was a crash from overhead. Victoria looked up in horror to see a large boat smashing into the lighthouse. In slow motion, the whole top section crumbled and began to fall down, straight to where they were kneeling.

"Run!" she yelled, and Kate looked up, immediately scrambling away. But Max didn't seem to hear her, and it was she could do to pull the girl out of the way, her sore ankle reluctantly doing what she'd asked, the masonry and wood crashing down just feet away from where they were scrambling away. "Max!" she screamed, more in frustration and fear of what might have happened rather than any anger, but the small girl, caught up in her own world, failed to hear her, or even acknowledge that she was there. Kate helped and together they managed to drag Max a fair distance away from the lighthouse, now with its entire top section exposed to the wild elements. The tall girl shivered as the biting cold once again wrapped its icy arms around her, coupled with the knowledge that they had come so close to serious injury, or worse.

"Max?" asked Kate, gently. She took the girl in her arms and rocked her gently back and forth. "Ssh, Max, it's okay," she whispered. "But we need to get out of the storm, yeah? Will you at least stand up?" She looked across to Victoria, who tested her ankle. It still hurt to put any weight on it, but now wasn't the time to complain. She bent down, hooked Max's arm over her shoulder and together with Kate, managed to raise her to her feet.

Max was still totally unresponsive and a dead weight. Her head lolled from side to side, her eyes completely devoid of any life. In fact, the only way they knew she was still alive was her ragged breathing. Between them, they helped her down the path, avoiding the slippery mud, the falling trees and the rocks which had somehow broken out of their pile and were rolling freely down the path.

Suddenly, Victoria's ankle gave out completely, and she fell to the floor, pulling Max and Kate down with her. She moaned in pain as Kate picked herself up, first making sure that Max was comfortable, sat with her back temporarily up against a fallen tree trunk, then tending to her other friend, who was lying in the mud, face screwed up in pain.

"Tori?" Kate asked, as she helped the blonde girl to sit up. "Your ankle?" Victoria nodded as Kate knelt down in the mud, propping Victoria's leg upon her own. She winced as Kate's hands touched her swollen ankle, and Kate immediately looked up, apologetic, but Victoria just motioned for her to continue.

Kate's hands were cold, but Victoria hardly noticed as her friend removed her shoe and vigorously rubbed the circulation back into her ankle. She winced several times, but eventually felt able to stand, which she did with Kate's help. She stood, balancing precariously on one leg, and looked at Max, who was sat, still non-responsive, against the tree. Kate took her hand and pulled gently, helping Max to her feet.

They made their way slowly and carefully down the path. Now, Kate found herself supporting both Max and Victoria's weight, and several times the mud nearly got the better of her, but she gainly stayed on her feet, stayed strong for her friends, and eventually they reached Victoria's car. Kate unlocked it and helped first Max into the back seat, then Victoria into the passenger side before finally climbing in herself.

As she shut the door, the world changed. Gone was the sting of the driving rain, the howl of the vicious wind, the bite of the deathly cold. She immediately turned the ignition on and began to warm the car up, sighing happily to be out of the cold. A few minutes later, the car had begun to feel far warmer, and she sighed in relief and gazed over at the blonde girl sitting in the passenger seat. Victoria had removed both her shoes and was slowly massaging her ankle. In the light of the car, it really did look nasty. It had swollen up to double its normal size and had taken on a nasty purple hue, and by the constant grimacing on Victoria's face, it was causing her pain. A lot of pain.

Victoria noticed Kate's gaze and blushed involuntarily. "Thanks."

Kate smiled gently. "It was my pleasure, Tori," she said, placing her hand on Victoria's arm, causing the blonde girl to flinch ever so slightly. "How is it?" she said, inclining her head towards Victoria's ankle.

"It's been better," said Victoria. "Probably could have done without the walk up there and back if I'm being honest, but it needed to be done." She paused. "Thanks, Kate," she said, blushing more. "You didn't have to do that, you know."

"Oh, I know that," said Kate, brightly. She looked forward and her face dropped slightly. "What do we do now?" She turned around to look at Max, still sat quietly on the back seat. "And what about Max?"

Victoria fell silent for a moment, thinking. "Well," she began, cautiously, "don't take this wrong way, but I don't think we should, I mean, _you_ should be driving in this, yeah?"

Kate looked relieved. "Thanks," she said, breathing a little easier, "I wasn't looking forward to that."

"Can you at least get us out of the storm, or at least a way away?" asked Victoria. "I'd rather not get caught up in it." She smiled, a little wanly, but to her immense relief Kate nodded.

"I can do that," she said, "although I won't be driving quickly.

"Fine," agreed the taller girl. "Just get us out of here. And don't go to the Dark Room," she continued. "Even though everyone is sheltering there, I don't want you or Max anywhere near it."

"A-and you?" said Kate. "I'm guessing you don't really want to be there either?"

Victoria nodded in response. "Yeah," she said quietly. "I'd… rather not go there either."

"You know anywhere we can go?"

Victoria nodded again. "I think so," she said, pointing to the left and behind. "Go back that way, I'll direct you." Kate nodded and started the car.

…

Fifteen minutes later, Kate pulled off the road and killed the engine. They were outside Arcadia Bay, well out of the range of the storm, looking back at the town they called home. Above the trees, visibly swaying in the wind, was the hungry maw of the tornado, closing in on the sleepy seaside town like a slow, deliberate, relentless predator. While Max was still non-responsive, both Kate and Victoria could do nothing except sit in shocked silence, watching the storm continue its merciless pursuit of the small, defenceless town. Neither girl said anything, nor were any tears shed. They simply sat in a stunned silence, trying to digest what they were witnessing; the possible death of their home.

However, just before it made landfall, the storm finally ran out of energy and quickly dissipated. The funnel collapsed in on itself, the skies cleared and the wind died down to an eerie calm. Several minutes passed like this before Kate and Victoria realised they were holding each other's hand tightly. They both let go at the same moment, both blushing. Victoria looked forward towards the bay, but Kate concentrated on the girl in the back of the car. Immediately, she could see that Max was shivering; her arms were wrapped around herself, even though the air in the car was warm.

"Max?" Kate climbed out of the car and sat in the back, next to Max. She placed her arm gently around Max's shoulders. But again, there was no response from Max. "Max?" said Kate, again. "Max, the storm's over. We're through it. You're safe now, with Victoria and myself." She fell silent, simply embracing her dear friend as she felt Max's shoulders begin to heave as tears streaked a familiar path down Max's cheeks once more. In silence, she held Max until her tears finally evaporated and Max once again lay still.

Then, Kate felt Max's weight shift slightly. It wasn't much, but it was noticeable. She looked across and smiled. Max had leaned into Kate, sharing her warmth. It was a small gesture, but, considering her state over the previous hour or so, it was an important one.

"Hey," she whispered, hugging Max tighter and feeling her respond, if sluggishly. "Anyone home?" She twisted to give Max a reassuring kiss on her forehead, then fell silent and, with a glance to Victoria, ensured that she stayed silent as well. She felt Max's breathing begin to slow down and her whole body began to relax. Eventually, after several minutes of silence, she felt Max shift in her arms. Her head raised slightly, and Kate's heart began to beat in anticipation.

"Kate?"

The voice, when it came, was quiet but full of emotion. The desperation and sadness in that single word nearly set Kate crying again. Instead, she just held Max tight.

"Hey," she whispered again. "Welcome back, Max."


	53. 52 Going back

"Where are we?" Max tried to sit up and look around, but Kate's arms held her back. Her voice was weak and slow, and she was speaking so quietly that Kate had to strain to understand what she was saying.

"Easy there Max," said Kate, stroking her friend's hair. "We're in Tori's car, a little way outside Arcadia."

"The storm?"

"It's over, Max," said Victoria, joining in the conversation. "I'm glad you're back with us," she continued, smiling. "I'm glad you're okay." At the word 'okay', Kate shot her a glare, and she shrank back. "I'm… I'm sorry Max," she said, quickly, "I didn't mean that… it was wrong."

"S'okay," mumbled Max.

"No, it's not," said Victoria, "but I _am_ sorry. That was insensitive of me."

"Max, what do you remember?" said Kate, gently. She knew she was treading very dangerously, but she felt it was important to ground her in reality. In response, Max struggled to sit up, and this time Kate helped her to sit upright. She took a moment to look around her, then looked back at Kate, who smiled.

"Where am I?" asked Max.

Victoria started. "You're in my car, don't you remember…" she said, then fell silent after a glare from Kate. "I mean…"

"You're in Tori's car," said Kate, gently, silently _shushing_ Victoria. "Tori's here, and me. We're just outside Arcadia. We found you near the lighthouse and brought you here, out of the way."

"The storm?"

"It's over, Max," said Kate, smiling bravely. Max looked around a little before burying her head in Kate's shoulder.

"Where's Chloe?" she asked in a voice that broke Kate's heart. "Where's my Chloe?"

Victoria looked away, unable to prevent tears from forming around her eyes. Kate just hugged Max tightly to her chest. "I'm so sorry, Max," she whispered. "Chloe's… Chloe's gone."

"She left me?"

Kate nodded. "I'm so sorry, Max," she repeated. "Can you… can you remember what happened?"

Max fell silent, keeping her head firmly buried in Kate's embrace. "I'm… I'm not sure," she said. "I think that I…"

"It's okay, Max," whispered Kate. "Take your time. We're here for you, and we're not going anywhere."

…

"… and then she…" Max dissolved into more tears as she recounted Chloe's final words to her, while Kate held her close.

"It's okay to be sad, Max," she said, softly. "It's okay to be mad, too. What Chloe did for you is..."

"…it's heroic," said Victoria, breaking her silence and gaining an appreciative nod from Kate. "It's nothing short of heroic, Max. She loved you so much that she…" Victoria broke off into more silence, and Kate thought quickly.

"She did love you," said Kate, filling the gap, "she loved you more than we gave her credit for."

"It's true," said Victoria. "I mean, of all people, I gave her a hard time more than most, but she really cared for you, Max. To do what she did took real bravery. I… I don't know if I could do that."

"But she left me," said Max.

"Yes, but why did she do what she did?" asked Victoria. "I know Chloe, and I know she wouldn't just give up, or leave you. She must have had a bloody good reason to do what she did. Can you, you know, just rewind?" Max shook her head.

"It's too far," she said, but then she froze, then looked up at Kate. "But…"

"But what?"

"She made me take a photo of her, just before we… I mean, before she…"

"Where were you?" said Victoria.

"In the lighthouse. It was before we went outside and she, you know…"

"So can you travel back to the photo?"

Max thought about it and nodded, finally sitting up straight. Her eyes were drying as she looked at Victoria and Kate with a renewed vigour. "I think I could," she said, hesitantly, "but I don't know what I can do when I get there."

"Not a problem," said Victoria. "We'll help you with that. We have plenty of time, right? We can sit here, grab something to eat and drink, and sort out a plan. Don't forget, also, we're not that far away when you go back. Kate drove to the lighthouse car park, and we were making our way up to the lighthouse, hoping to find you. We're probably only a few minutes away from you, so if you can stall a little, give us time to get up there…"

"No!" said Max, suddenly. "You can't!"

"What?"

"You can't do that, Jefferson has a gun," said Max, adamantly. "He's not afraid to use it, either. I can't… I can't lose you, too."

"Don't worry, Max," said Kate, trying to sound as soothing as possible, "you're not going to lose anyone any more, but we want to help you get Chloe back, okay?"

"Okay."

"So," said Victoria, breaking into the conversation, "you were sat on the chair opposite Chloe."

"Yes."

"Your hands were tied behind you?"

"No, I was taking the photo, he allowed Chloe to untie me temporarily, then she tied me back up again." Max's lips began to tremble, so Kate immediately took her hand in hers.

"You're doing really well," said Kate. "We're both here to help you, Max."

"Thanks," said Max, slowly calming down.

"So, you're in the chair, and both you and Chloe are untied," said Victoria. "That's a good start. Who else is there?"

"Jefferson."

"Was Nathan in the room as well?"

Max screwed up her face, trying to remember. "I… don't know," she said finally. "I know he left to go put stuff in the car, then came back, but I'm not sure he was there at that point. I'm sorry."

"No, it's fine," said Kate, quickly. "We can work around this." She thought for a moment. "So we're not sure if Nathan _and_ Jefferson are there, or just Jefferson."

"Max, can you remember if Jefferson had his gun?" asked Victoria.

"I… don't know," said Max, thinking hard. "Although if both Chloe and I were untied, I'd guess he probably did have it."

"Okay, so let's assume he has his gun. It would be pointed at…"

"Me or Chloe, I'm not sure," said Max.

"Probably Max," said Kate.

"You think so?" asked Victoria.

"Look, after what Chloe did, what do you think is the best way for Jefferson to gain her cooperation?" As Kate talked, realisation dawned on Victoria.

"By threatening Max," she said, and Kate nodded. "It would be the perfect way to convince Chloe to do what he wanted."

"So his gun was pointed at me," said Max. She was sounding far stronger than earlier. "Yes, I think you may be right, I think it was." She looked directly at Victoria. "What do I do?"

"Can you grab Jefferson's gun?"

Max thought for a second, then shook her head. "I don't think so. As soon as I make a move, he'd shoot me."

"No, I'm with Tori on this," said Kate. "I'm sure there's a way for you to get the gun from Mr Jefferson. There must be a way."

"I don't see how." Max sighed. "This is hopeless, I'm never going to get her back, am I?"

"No, don't think that way, Max, okay?" said Victoria, quickly. "Kate and I are here, we're with you right now. We can sort it out, don't you worry your head about that."

"Max, how are you feeling?" said Kate.

"Like shit," said Max. Kate grimaced at Max's language but bit her lip and kept silent.

"We were worried about you," Kate said, and Max smiled.

"Thanks, Kate, and thanks Tori," she said. "I'm sorry I was crap."

"No, you weren't," insisted Victoria. "I mean, you scared us a little because you were so quiet, but you've been through so much shit, we understood. We just wanted to be there for you." She fell silent for a moment, but then spoke again. "So, getting this gun. I think that's probably your best option."

"I agree," said Kate. "The question is, how can Max get it? And how can she get it without actually getting shot?"

"More importantly, though," said Victoria, "is Max." She turned to face Max. "Can you do this? I mean, are you okay to go through this?"

Max nodded. "if it brings back my Chloe," she said, a steely determination now set on her face, "then I'll do it."

"Good," said Victoria, "because I think I know how you can do this."

…

The familiar white-out and rushing wind enveloped Max as the Polaroid faded from view, together with the car, Kate and Victoria. Her head began to pound and she felt the familiar trickle from her nose as she hoped desperately this would be the last time she'd ever have to do this.

…

With trembling hands, Max raised the camera to her eyeline. She looked at Chloe, standing in front of her as she assumed a special pose. She was standing with legs apart in a classic model stance, one hip higher than the other, arms folded across her chest, and with a small smirk on her lips. She saw Max looking at her and blew her a small kiss, noting Max's small smile in response. Max concentrated, looking intently through the viewfinder in order to frame Chloe perfectly. She was aware of Jefferson watching her critically. She took a half-step backwards, bringing Chloe into focus and gently massaged the shutter. The familiar _click-whirr_ brought a wave of nostalgia washing over her before the camera spat the photo out. She caught it and shook it twice before putting the camera away again. Before she could take a look at the photo, though, Jefferson had taken it and was gazing critically at it.

"Not bad, Max," he said, nodding. "Not bad at all. I like how you've framed Chloe perfectly in the left third of the photograph, leaving room for the lighthouse interior. You've also captured the lighting well, of course, white balance is difficult on an instant camera, but you've compensated well." He pursed his lips. "Are you sure this will be your last photograph?"

Max didn't give him a chance to answer. Her eyes took in the room in an instant; Jefferson looking at the photograph, the interior of the lighthouse, the sound of the wind and rain outside, Chloe, alive and well, still standing in her pose, and the lack of Nathan in the room. She knew she didn't have long.

"Actually, I think I've time for one more photograph," she said, raising the camera to her eye and pointing it at Jefferson. "Always take the shot," she muttered as Jefferson involuntarily looked straight at her as she pressed the shutter release and closed her eyes. The flash was bright and sudden, and had the desired effect. Jefferson roared as he was temporarily blinded and Max dropped the camera, quickly closing the gap and grabbing Jefferson's gun.

However, he recovered far quicker than she thought possible; his hand was still clamped around the gun and he wasn't letting go. With all her strength she tried to prise the weapon out of his hand, but he held on grimly, flailing out with his hands and connecting with the back of her head.

Max felt the world jolt a little as Jefferson's fist connected. Her ears began to ring and her vision blurred for just a second. Somehow, she managed to hang on to the gun and continue to fight for it, but help was on its way.

With a roar, Chloe jumped on Jefferson's back, pounding his head with her fists and wrapping her hands around his neck. He tried to shake her off but she grimly hung on, getting a bloody nose for her troubles as her head connected with his.

"Get. Off. Me!" shouted Jefferson, as he tried to free himself. He swung his right shoulder down and Chloe went with him, spinning over his back and losing her grip as she landed on the floor near the door. Max was still grappling for the gun as it suddenly went off, the shot unnaturally loud in the small interior. She froze and Jefferson took advantage, snatching the gun back and taking a few steps away, pointing the gun at her.

"Now look what you made me do," he said, nodding at Chloe, who was on the floor, blood seeping out in a puddle around her.

"No!" yelled Max, tears stinging her eyes as she locked eyes with Chloe, who was looking desperately at her, her chest heaving for breath. She immediately lifted her right hand and felt the world rush backwards around her.

o_o_o

As time slowed and resumed, Max found herself behind Jefferson as he was still temporarily blinded. This time, instead of going straight for the gun, she looked around and her eyes fell on a stack of old books. She picked one up and swung it with all her might at Jefferson's head. The old book, dusty but bound in a real leather cover, connected with his head and knocked him immediately to the floor, where he dropped the gun, his hands flying out to his head as he roared in pain. Max didn't waste any time in picking up the gun, she knew he wasn't knocked out and she only had a second before he'd recover.

"Max!" yelled Chloe, and Max nodded, passing the gun across to her friend and going to stand by her. Chloe raised the gun, her hand trembling slightly as Jefferson slowly got to his feet.

"You bitch!" he growled, but stayed still. "Hand that over," he continued, motioning towards the gun in Chloe's hands.

"I don't think so," said Chloe. "Now it's _our_ turn."


	54. 53 Endgame Part 1

Chloe stood still, trying to concentrate on the scene in front of her, but at the same time come to terms with the flood of emotions coursing through her body and mind, threatening to overwhelm her.

 _What just happened?_

She tried to make sense of the events of the last few minutes.

 _Max was… subdued. She was broken. Jeffershit had us over a barrel. Then she took a photo and totally changed. Suddenly she was…_

 _… she took a photo. She took a photo. She took a goddamned photo!_

Realisation hit Chloe like a train.

 _She's jumped back!_

 _She's actually gone and jumped back!_

 _Go Max!_

 _So we get out of this?_

Chloe sobered as a further realisation hit her.

 _No, we don't get out of this. Max gets out of this. My plan worked! I mean works… I mean…_

She allowed herself a small grin.

 _Yes!_

All this passed through her mind in a split second as she trained the gun on Jefferson, laid out on the floor. "You bitch!" he growled, but stayed still. "Hand that over," he continued, motioning towards the gun in Chloe's hands.

"I don't think so," said Chloe. "Now it's _our_ turn." She looked across at Max. "You ok, Max?"

"Never better," said Max. Chloe was right; she'd totally changed her personality. Gone was the subdued, broken Max of a few minutes ago, the Max that had pretty much given up. In her place was a new Max, a focussed, determined Max with a sense of purpose. The way she acted, the way she sounded, even the way she stood was different. She looked to Chloe and smiled. "Good plan," she said.

"Um, okay," said Chloe, not wanting to reveal too much about what the plan was. "Now what?"

"We wait," said Max.

"We wait?" said Chloe, frowning. "What for? The storm's just out there. We can't stay in here, can we?"

"No, we won't have to wait very long," said Max. "Trust me. Just keep Jeffershit on his leash."

 _Damn, she's hot when she's like this._

The thought flashed through Chloe's mind, causing a shiver of pleasure to shoot through her body. She shook it off and concentrated on Jefferson.

"Don't call me that!" growled the ex-teacher, but Max was having none of it.

"You're in no position to make demands," she spat. She looked around the room several times, as if looking for something, finally settling on a large wooden barometer that was hanging on the wall. Chloe watched with curiosity as she picked it off the wall, tested its weight in her hands, and smiled as she headed over to the door, taking up her position on the far side. Chloe opened her mouth to speak, but a quick glare from Max shut her up.

 _What's got into her? What the fuck has happened?_

Chloe's mind began to wander once more as she kept the gun trained on Jefferson, and Max kept watch by the door for, presumably, Nathan's return.

 _Obviously, she's travelled back through the photo she just took. Excellent, so my plan worked. Thing is, how long after did she go? I mean, it's like she's had a personality change. Or, a lot of time has passed. Has she come back from next week? Next month? Next year? Am I even still alive at that point?_

So many questions began swirling around Chloe's head that it began to ache. She shook her head to clear it, and tried to concentrate again on Jefferson. He was still on the floor, although he'd picked himself up and was now sitting on the floor, legs hunched up in front of him, glaring daggers at Chloe as she kept the gun firmly trained on him.

"So, what's it like to be on the other side?" she said, smirking at him.

"Go to hell, bitch!" he spat, and Chloe broke into a smile.

"Not so hot then, I take it," she said, unable to stop grinning. "Yeah, I wouldn't bother getting up," she continued. "Might hurt, if you catch my drift." She turned her attention to Max. "Babe?"

"Any moment now," said Max, raising the barometer and replanting her feet firmly on the floor, transferring her weight forwards.

On cue, the door opened and the wind began to howl around the room. Max, braced and ready, was unaffected, but Chloe struggled to hold the gun steady as the wind swirled around her. Spluttering, Nathan Prescott entered the room, totally failing to see Max waiting for him. He stopped as his eyes took in the unexpected sight of the blue-haired girl holding the gun on Jefferson, rather than the other way around, but he didn't have time to register everything fully as the barometer connected with the side of his head. He dropped like a stone, Max, quickly taking his gun and stepping back. She dropped the barometer and pointed the gun at Nathan as he groggily returned to reality.

"You bitch!" he spat, getting to his knees, but going no further. His right knee was on the floor with his left leg bent, ready to spring up, but the view down the barrel of the gun was enough to make him hesitate.

"That's right," said Max. "Down, boy." She grinned across at Chloe, who just raised an eyebrow in response.

 _Where has this come from?_

Max kicked the door closed and the howling ceased. She looked around the room and smiled. "Now," she said, "let's get a few things straight, shall we?" She looked across at Chloe. "You okay, babe?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess," spluttered Chloe. "This is a bit… surprising."

"For them, too," said Max. Her expression then turned sour. "Look, I'm gonna be gone in a moment, you understand?"

"I… think so," said Chloe.

"Come here," said Max. Chloe couldn't help a small smirk at Max's commanding tone, and she did as she was told. Max handed her the gun and she covered both Jefferson and Nathan. "I'll see you soon, my love," she whispered, and then she was gone.

The change in Max was dramatic, to say the least. She went stiff, then suddenly began swaying and looking totally disoriented. She bent over and groaned; it took all of Chloe's strength not to lose focus on the two men she was covering with the guns.

"Chloe?" The voice was small, subdued once more.

 _There's my Max._

 _Pity._

"Max?"

"What's going on?"

Chloe thought quickly. "Don't panic, Max, just keep looking around and thinking, okay?" She leaned in. "The plan worked. You travelled back through the photo," she whispered. "We've got the upper hand, but the storm will trash this place soon. Are you okay?"

"I… I don't know. I feel… weird."

"I get that, Max," Chloe said, still whispering. "But we have to be strong now, for a little longer, okay?" Max nodded, and Chloe noticed that her whole body was trembling. "Strength, Max-a-million," she whispered again, then transferred her attention back to the two men. "Right, you two," she said, trying to put as much command into her voice as possible. "On your feet." When they didn't move, she repeated herself. "I said, on your feet, fuckmonkeys!" she spat, injecting venom into her words. "I'm not going to say it again."

Both men reluctantly got to their feet. "You won't shoot me," said Jefferson, smiling. "You don't have the balls."

"That _is_ possible," conceded Chloe, after thinking for a moment. "But do you really want to find out for sure?" She grinned. "Go on, I dare you." She nodded to the door. "We're going outside now. So get the fuck up and pronto! Max, get the door, please." Max did as she was told and opened the door, letting the wind back in to howl and moan in misery around the lighthouse interior. "Outside," she said, and the two men slowly began to shuffle outside.

"It's cold out there," moaned Nathan.

"Shut up, fuckstick," Chloe spat, then turned expectantly to Max, who just stared blankly back.

"Really?" she said. "Now?"

"Why not?" said Chloe, and Max nodded.

"Shawshank Redemption."

"Got it in one!" screamed Chloe, jumping up in triumph. "Fifty points to the Maxter! Okay, you two. Outside. And stop fucking moaning, Prickscott."

…

It was hard to stand. And see. Chloe conceded that much as the wind whipped through the trees, sending stinging shards of rain deep into her cheeks. Her skin tingled and pricked like the '1000 needles' attack they used to hate in Final Fantasy and she couldn't stop shivering. But she forced herself to stay focussed.

"Max!" she shouted, struggling to make herself heard. "Over here!"

"So what's your grand plan now?" said Jefferson. Both he and Nathan were knelt on the ground. "We're just going to stay here?"

"Yup. Precisely," said Chloe. "We're going to wait out the storm, then the police'll come and take you away."

"I own the police, bitch!" spat Nathan, but Chloe just cocked her eyebrow.

"Of course you do," she said. "That's why they arrested you and Jeffershit here. That's why they're going to look the other way when Jeffershit broke you out and kidnapped Max and me. See, I didn't stay all that long in Blackwell, but I did learn some shit while I was there. Kidnapping, now that's a serious felony." She drew in a long breath and smiled. "And I reckon that sort of thing gets the attention of the big boys." Her grin widened. "The feds. Know anything about them?"

"We own the…"

"See, I may have been kicked out, but I ain't stupid, yeah? I mean, thinking about it, I reckon they're looking for you. Especially after you broke out of jail, but…" she stopped talking as a thought hit her. "wait a second, wait a… just wait there." Chloe began pacing around, waving the gun. "What if they were looking for you before? But how is that, nobody knew that you were… but they knew _something_ was going on, didn't they? They knew that _someone_ was abducting the students. Where were you before? Because… you haven't been a Blackwell all that long, have you? You came here, what, two years ago? Three? And you came from… now then, where did you come from?"

"Seattle," said Max, quietly.

"What?" Chloe turned around.

"He came from Seattle," she said. "I remember how excited I was when my scholarship was accepted. I'd seen his work around Seattle while I was living there in a few exhibitions. I'd even tried to meet him at one gallery, but he never showed up. I looked up to him. He was…" Here, Max stopped talking, but she swallowed, drew a shaky breath and continued, looking straight at him. "You were my hero," she said. "I'd go to all of your exhibitions in town, look at all your photographs… I was so excited that I'd be learning from you."

"Max…" said Chloe, but Max continued without pausing.

"But you turned out to be nothing more than a nightmare," she said. "You weren't even a good teacher, were you? I mean, you weren't really trying. You were just there to scope out people for your next little 'project'."

"Max," said Chloe, and she stopped and turned to her girlfriend.

"What?"

"You talked to Jeffershit." She grinned. "You talked to Jeffershit!"

The realisation of what had just happened slowly dawned on Max, and a large smile grew slowly on her face. "I did, didn't I?" she said.

"Way to go, Max Factor!" said Chloe, offering up and receiving a high five. "I knew you could do it," she whispered, receiving a warm smile in response. Then she turned back to Jefferson. "We apologise for the intermission," she said, grinning, "but it's time to return to the main feature." Her face set back into a neutral expression. "So, you were in Seattle. And I'm guessing that your sick little show didn't start when you arrived here in Arcadia." She began grinning once more. "So I reckon the Seattle pigs are on the lookout for a sick fuck who abducts women, don't you?" She grinned again. "Please tell me again how you own the Arcadia pigs, the Seattle pigs, and the feds?" She shrugged. "'Cause I'm willing to bet, you don't own them all. Amiright?"

Nathan scoffed, but for just a moment, an expression of… fear?... flitted across his face. For his part, Jefferson merely glowered at her but stayed silent.

"Sooo," continued Chloe, "I'm thinking that the feds will be very interested, very interested indeed to learn of your… historical extra-curricular activities, I think we can call them, can't we?" She began ticking off her fingers. "Arcadia, Seattle… but what about before then? You must have started somewhere, surely." She paused, thinking. "Maybe you started small, taking photographs here and there. You probably didn't have a studio at that point. Maybe taking the photos in your house?" She paused again, shaking her head. "No, you wouldn't have done that, you're too… smart, even though I fucking hate myself for saying that. Perhaps an abandoned warehouse, or an abandoned house, something like that." She nodded. "Yeah, that's more like it. A primitive setup, maybe a white sheet, a white wall, single light source?" She noticed the expression on Jefferson's face and barked a short laugh. "Oh? Thought I didn't know anything, didcha?" She tapped the side of her head. "Missed potential, me, that's what step-sh… I mean David always said." She grinned. "So, yeah, probably some old abandoned house, probably reasonably close to where you used to live, 'cause, you know, you wouldn't really want to have to go _that_ far, would you? No, I think the cops would have a nice little look around, find out where you started, that sort of thing, don't you think?"

"I see," said Jefferson. "And what do you think you'd achieve?"

"Isn't it obvious? You'd be put away, left to rot in jail and be bumfucked every day by large men who really don't give a shit what you think or who you are."

"Really. And how are you going to achieve that, exactly."

"I told you. Wait out the storm and then call the cops."

"Right. Wait out the storm." Jefferson nodded to Nathan. "She's going to wait out the storm. Good plan, I must say." He appeared to think for a moment. "And let's say you manage to wait out the storm. How will you call the cops?"

"Are you…" Chloe grinned with a sideways glance to Max, "… cereal? Phone them."

"Good thought. Assuming that the storm hasn't destroyed the masts and there'll be no phone signal. Thing is, I think that's eminently possible, don't you? Let's assume you have no working phone. Then what?"

"Not your concern, fuckface," spat Chloe.

"I disagree. I think it _is_ my concern, especially if I'm looking ahead to a life… like the one you described." He turned to the man next to him. "What about you, Nathan? Do you fancy being… oh, what was the delightful term you used… bumfucked?"

"Just you fucking try!" spat Nathan. "We own the… I'll get my fa…"

"Calm down, Nathan," said Jefferson, "you'll give yourself an embolism at this rate." He struggled to his feet. "Well, it's been nice chatting and all that, Ms Price," he said, "but I think it's time we were going. Come on, Nathan. No need to hang around here any longer."

"Stay right where you are," said Chloe, reaffirming her statement by jabbing the air with the gun. "You're not going anywhere."

"Yeah, about that," said Jefferson. "Perhaps we need to have a little chat about things. You know, a few home truths. Things you might… want to know."

"I don't want to know anything from you, you fucking bag of shit," spat Chloe, but she couldn't keep the edge of curiosity out of her voice.

"So shoot me, because I'm going to talk. If you don't want to hear, either leave, or shoot me. Those are your only two options." When Chloe didn't move, Jefferson continued with a smirk. "I thought so," he said. "So, you want to know the truth."

"Fuck you!"

"Do you speak to your mother with that… of course you do. Anyway, I know a few things that I think you'd find quite interesting."

"There's nothing you can say to me that would…"

"Don't be so sure about that," said Jefferson. Beside him, Nathan started, looking at his mentor with fear-filled eyes. "There's one thing in particular that I think you'd love to know."

"Chloe," warned Max, but Chloe ignored her.

"What's that then?" she said.

"Rachel Amber."

The name was like a gunshot. Despite the storm, it cut through the noise like a knife through butter and Chloe stumbled slightly, losing her balance on hearing the name said aloud. She recovered quickly, though, and ignored the concerned looks from Max.

"What about her?" She shrugged. "I know what he did."

"Do you?" Jefferson leaned forward. "Are you absolutely sure you know everything?"

"Chloe, he's trying to goad you," said Max, urgently. "Don't let him." But her voice was lost in the wind, and Chloe continued.

"He killed her. He was trying to be a fuckup like you, except he overdosed her on sedative or some shit," she said. "Nothing else to it. I found her… I know where she's…" Chloe couldn't finish the sentence, but the rain masked any tears on her cheeks.

"Not entirely accurate," said Jefferson, still smirking.

"What do you mean?"

"Don't you want to know the truth?"

"Tell me!" shouted Chloe.

"Fine," said Jefferson. "The truth is, he didn't kill her."

"What? I saw her body!"

"Oh, she's definitely dead," said Jefferson. "It's just… well, there's no other way to put it." He paused for effect, both Max and Nathan's face twisted into a mask of horror. "The sedative didn't kill her."

"Bullshit!" But Chloe's voice was beginning to waver. Max tried to shout again, but her voice wouldn't carry and her warning remained unheard.

"I'm afraid not. I mean, we both _thought_ she was dead. He'd certainly given her a lot of sedative…"

"… shut up!" Nathan had finally found his voice. "Shut up!"

"… but, well, she began to wake up."

"What?" Chloe's voice cut through the storm; it was like a sheet of ice, dangerously thin.

"Mark, please…"

"Yeah, she began to stir."

"She was alive?"

"Yup. Well, until Nathan finished burying her. I imagine she wouldn't have lasted too much longer after that. You know, oxygen and whatnot, all kind of important in the grand stream of things."

"Mark!"

Chloe was struggling to breathe. Anything she'd expected to hear, some bullshit about how sorry they were, or how it was done, had evaporated in the face of these… horrifying revelations, and she was having trouble processing it all. She looked across at Nathan, whose face had gone a pasty white and looked like he wanted the earth to swallow him up with a building hate.

"You…"

"Chloe, I'm…"

"… buried…"

"… so sorry, I…"

"…her…"

"… never meant for any of this to…"

"… _ALIVE!_ "

"…happen."

Chloe screamed, a heart-wrenching scream that was full of anger, hate, passion, desperation and sorrow. She screamed and screamed and screamed, her face going slowly more red and purple, the veins on her head beginning to pulse as she glared at Nathan. Suddenly, she dropped the guns and ran across to the young man. The red mist had descended and she jumped into him, swinging, knocking him to the floor as she punched his face, head and upper body with both fists.

Nathan Prescott made no attempt to punch back under Chloe's furious onslaught. He simply lay on the ground, trying feebly to defend himself, all the while crying and repeating over and over again how sorry he was, how he never meant to hurt her, how he never wanted to hurt anyone. None of this was heard by Chloe, who just continued her ferocious assault. Eventually, she climbed off the young man, leaving him bloodied and feebly moving on the ground. She was crying, tears streaking her dirt-ridden face, her eyes puffy and bloodshot, and she was breathing heavily, blood clearly showing on her knuckles and hands. However, when she did stand up, she received a shock.

Because Jefferson had retrieved the guns and was now holding them both on her, while Max cowered on the floor.

"I could was lyrical about how gullible and easily manipulated you are," he said, "but I really can't be bothered. Good bye." His hands parted, each gun trained on a different person – Chloe and Max. He took a single breath and then fired, the two shots clearly heard over the storm.


	55. 54 Endgame Part 2

Time stopped.

It had only happened the once before, the previous week when Max was just about able to get to the rooftop to save Kate, and she had no idea how she did it then, and she had no idea how she did it now, but it was definitely happening. Maybe it was something that auto-activated, like some passive protection power or something. Either way, to say she was glad it had activated was something of an understatement.

Her head was pounding and blood was trickling from her nostrils, but she still had the presence of mind to move out of the way of the single bullet in front of her eyes (a little too close to them, if the truth be told) before taking stock of the situation around her.

Jefferson stood in the centre of the small clearing by the cliff edge. His arms were splayed out, one pointing the gun at Chloe, and the other where Max was standing. The small puffs of gunpowder could still be seen, frozen by time as the exited the barrel long after the round had left. He reminded her of that scene from Reservoir Dogs, well, part of it, anyway. A quick thought flashed through her mind.

 _He must be a decent aim, to be able to fire two guns accurately at the same time. Maybe he's done this before…_

She shivered, realising exactly what that thought entailed, but then she remembered how quickly and accurately he was able to dispatch Chloe in the junkyard the previous week.

Talking of Chloe, she was still near Nathan. She was on her knees, looking up at Jefferson and the gun, eyes puffy and bloodshot, in the middle of a heaving breath. Nathan was on the floor, curled up in the foetal position. Blood adorned his face and clothes, remnants of Chloe's ferocious and uncontained assault.

Around her, the storm was, in a word, magnificent. Frozen in time, the silence was totally deafening, and utterly surreal. Apart from the blood pounding in her ears, she could see the storm in all its glory but hear absolutely nothing. The giant maw still hungered but was unable to draw debris into itself, the trees, still bent dangerously over but now going nowhere, the raindrops, pointed and stinging like shards of ice frozen in the air.

It would have been a lovely photograph, but Max wasn't thinking about any of that. She was looking for the other bullet. The one heading for her was fine; now she'd moved out of the way, she could quit worrying about it and let it find its way, but the other one, the one that was aimed at Chloe, that needed to be found.

It didn't take long to find it, either. It was frozen just in front of Chloe, about 2 centimetres from her forehead. Jefferson was nothing if not a good shot.

 _Again, I knew this last week. Must have slipped my mind._

Head still pounding, Max pondered what to do for a couple of seconds, then came to a decision.

 _One, remove bullet. Two, remove guns._

Tentatively, she reached out and placed her hand around the bullet. It was hot to the touch and Max grimaced as the metal burned her skin. Immediately, she withdrew her hand and blew on it. It didn't look too bad, although she knew it would smart for a good while. She tried again, this time using her sleeve as a barrier to the heat, and managed to pluck the bullet out of the air and place it in her pocket. Then she wandered over to Jefferson and took the guns from his hands, placing them in her jeans waistband. A thought hit her as she looked around and she sniggered, quickly bending down and tying his shoelaces together. Then she skipped back to her starting position where, after a quick thought, plucked her bullet from the air and put it in her pocket also.

 _It would make a nice necklace or bracelet to match Chloe's. Plus, it would really mean something to the both of us. A little memento, perhaps._

Standing there, at that moment, watching the scene frozen in front of her, she couldn't help but let her mind wander.

 _Will we actually get out of this?_

 _Do I want to get out of this? It would be so much easier just to let it all stop, wouldn't it? I mean, I've done so much for Chloe over this week and last week, but it seems like it's never-ending. Each time I think I've sorted it, something else comes back to bite me on the ass._

 _No, that's not right, I'm doing all this for Chloe. For me. For me and Chloe. For… for us. Because the future has to be better than this. I have to believe it's not all going to end here._

 _It's not._

 _It's not going to end here, because I have the power to ensure it doesn't._

 _I won't let it all end here._

 _I won't._

 _Don't know why I've been given this power, but it's for a reason, right? To save Chloe? Possibly. To regain her friendship and trust? Possibly. To gain her love? Doubtful, but I'm not going to complain about that._

 _So why?_

 _To stop Jefferson? Possible._

 _To stop Nathan? Doubtful but possible._

 _What about all those things. To stop Jefferson from his sick games, to stop him from ruining Nathan's life, to regain Chloe's trust and friendship, to save her life, to save… mine._

 _To save Arcadia from… itself? Possible._

Max took a deep breath and closed her eyes, exhaling slowly, eventually opening them as the world caught up.

The roar of the storm grew, gradually at first, then louder and louder, like an old vinyl record spinning slowly, then getting up to speed. The gunshots continued to echo around her, but the bullets lay safely in her pocket, and the guns safely in her waistband.

 _Not giving them to Chloe this time._

"Chloe!" she yelled, and her girlfriend, arm raising to protect herself from the gunshot, stopped and looked at her, a smile breaking out on her face.

Mark Jefferson was confused. One moment he'd pulled the trigger, and the next the guns had vanished, as if by magic. His face contorted into a snarl as he realised what had happened. "Max!" he hissed, and took off towards her.

He didn't get far.

The shoelaces had another idea, and he pitched face forward into the muddy ground. Chloe broke out into a screaming laugh and jumped up, going to stand beside Max.

"Nice going," she whispered, and Max smiled.

"Only for you," she replied, then her face fell. "Chloe, I'm… I'm sorry about Rachel." Chloe's face fell at the name, and Max quickly continued. "We can talk and grieve about it later, but I need you to be strong for me right now, okay? I need you to not lose it and start beating Nathan again, okay?" When Chloe didn't answer, Max gently slapped her across the face. "Chloe, focus!" she hissed. "I need you. I need you now, okay?" Chloe looked momentarily shocked, but quickly recovered and nodded at her girlfriend.

"I… I'm here," she said.

"Good. Now don't do anything stupid. This is _really_ not the time, okay?"

"Roger that," said Chloe. "Well, I mean, I'll try. I can't guarantee anything, mind you."

"Chloe!" Max was insistent. "You don't understand. Right now I need you to control yourself, to not do anything stupid. Now, above any other time, okay? I really mean this, Chloe."

"Okay, okay!" said Chloe, throwing up her hands. "I got it, okay? I'll be good."

"Promise?"

Chloe looked at Max. "You're really serious about this, aren't you?" In answer, Max nodded, tears trying to come to the surface. "Okay," she said, gently, "I promise I'll be good." Max smiled, and then Chloe whispered, conspiratorially, "just this once, Maximus!" She grinned and Max grinned back.

"Good enough for me. Now, just stand here and keep quiet for the moment, okay?"

"Roger that, Captain Max!"

Max was momentarily confused. "I thought I was first mate."

Chloe shrugged. "You're the one giving the orders, not me. Looks like you've got a promotion."

"You bitch!" Max's attention snapped back to Mark Jefferson, who'd untied his shoelaces and stood up. He was advancing on Max. "You ruined everything!"

In answer, Max produced one of the guns, released the safety and pointed it at Jefferson. "Come on, Mark," she said, taunting him. "Make my day."

"Max?" Chloe couldn't quite believe what she was seeing. "Are you… you? I mean, you're not, you know… come back or anything?"

"Yeah, I'm me," answered Max with a grimace, "I'm still me. But you're right, something's changed. I've had enough of being under his power. I've had enough of fucking around, freezing when I hear him, being afraid like a little girl. This stops _now_. You see that?" she said, turning back to Jefferson. "I'm not afraid of you anymore. Your spell over me has been broken." She smiled. "And just in time. Oh, and I wouldn't take another step, if I were you. I'd stay quite still."

"And why's that?"

By way of an answer, Max raised the gun in the air and fired a single shot. The look of shock on Jefferson's face said it all, and he stopped dead in his tracks.

"You wouldn't dare," he hissed, but he went no further.

"Try me. I dare you. In fact, I double dare you. _Sir._ " Max looked Jefferson directly in the eye, and, after a moment, he backed away and put his hands up.

"Fair enough," he said. "I'll behave. For now."

"Yeah, right," scoffed Chloe, and Max nodded.

"Forgive me if I don't believe you," she said. "You don't exactly have a track record in honesty. Now, just stay there and shut the fuck up. We're going to wait."

Behind Jefferson, Nathan began to stir. He groaned and tried to sit up, gingerly feeling his nose, and trying to wipe away the blood, which had already begun to dry.

"You bitch!" he said. "You broke my fucking nose! You'll pay for this. I've got a personal lawyer…"

"Yeah, and I'll break more than that if you let me," spat Chloe, but Max took Chloe's hand.

"Calm down, Chloe, remember?" she said, and Chloe nodded.

"Yeah, sorry," she said. "He just…"

"I know, Chloe," said Max. "I know."

"So, we're just going to wait, are we?" said Jefferson, and Max nodded.

"Seems like a good idea. We're safe here from the storm. All we have to do is…" Max suddenly stopped talking.

 _Is that… shit, they're early!_

"What?" said Chloe. "What is it?"

"Over there," said Max, pointing at the trees. Chloe looked, and, sure enough, she saw movement.

"Fuck!" said Max. "They're not supposed to be here yet."

"Max?"

"It's Tori and Kate. They've come up here to look for us, but they weren't supposed to be here so soon. Last time, they…" she thought, "no wait, we've taken longer this time to get to this point, so… fuck!"

Jefferson saw them talking and spun around, noticing the two sodden girls climbing out from the trees. Both Victoria (who was limping) and Kate were completely soaked and miserable, Kate was helping Victoria along, supporting her weight. They stopped when they the scene in front of them.

"Max?" Kate's voice was lost in the storm, but Max heard something.

"Stay there!" she yelled, holding her palm up, and Kate nodded. At that moment, however, Victoria caught sight of Nathan.

"Nate?" she said. "Nate? Oh my god, what happened to you?" She let go of Kate and limped quickly across to the boy.

"That bitch," he managed to say, before Chloe yelled.

"Victoria! Stay away from him!" she yelled, but it was too late. The blonde had knelt on the floor next to Nathan.

"What's going on?"

Max looked around quickly. The situation was no longer purely under her control, due to her own fault in taking too long. She cursed internally before looking around again.

"I'll tell you what's wrong," said Chloe, taking a step towards Nathan. "That little punk-ass buried Rachel alive, that's what's fucking wrong!"

"She's right, Tori," said Max. "Jefferson just told us."

"Oh, but they already knew," said Jefferson. "I told Miss Caulfield and Miss Chase the other day, when I had their full attention. Didn't Max say anything about this to you?"

"Max…" Chloe slowly turned her head to look at her girlfriend, who was quickly going red.

"Chloe, he…" Max choked on her words, but forced herself to look at Chloe. "He did tell us while we were in the Dark Room. He told us what had happened."

"Why didn't you say anything to me? Don't you think it's something I should have known?" Tears began freely flowing from Chloe's eyes as she fought to stop herself from breaking down completely. Her fists began clenching, but she remembered Max's words and her own promise to her girlfriend, and stayed where she was.

"Seriously? You think I wanted to keep something like this from you?" said Max. "But how was I supposed to tell you that your best friend was buried alive? Huh? Tell me that."

"You kept that from me… Max, you…" She took a step towards Max, but her girlfriend was prepared for this.

"Chloe, wait," said Max, stepping forward and taking Chloe's hand. "Now isn't the time to do this, right? Remember what I just said. All Jefferson's trying to do is distract us, get between us. Divide and conquer, right?"

Chloe looked daggers at Max, but wisely decided to keep her mouth shut, trusting herself only to nod instead. Victoria just turned to Nathan.

"Why, Nathan?" she said, with pity in her voice. "Why would you do something so horrific? Surely you knew it was…"

"…wrong?" said Nathan. "Of course I did!" He began to laugh wildly. "I knew what I was doing, he forced me to do it. I didn't want to do it." He began crying uncontrollably, rocking back and forth. "And now she comes to me every night, she talks to me, she tells me what to do. She won't leave me alone, I can't get rid of her. All the time, sat in my chair, on the end of the bed, walking beside me." He hung his head. "I know what I did. She won't leave me alone any more, I can't sleep, I can't be with anyone else…"

"The whale song!" Realisation hit Victoria like a slap in the face. "That's why you have that on all night." Nathan nodded sadly.

"It's the only way I can get any peace," he said, beginning to cry again. "She doesn't seem to like that, so it keeps her away for a while. At least I can doze." He looked up at Chloe. "Chloe, I'm so sorry. I never wanted to hurt her, I just wanted to… well, you know what I wanted."

"Yeah," said Chloe, not trusting herself to say anything else, although she could hear that Nathan was being far more sincere than she'd ever heard him before.

"I wanted to be… you know how my father is. Mark was just… he seemed to get me, he understood me…"

"No, he didn't…"

"… and I wanted to please him, I wanted to be like him." Nathan looked up at Chloe again with tear-filled eyes. "I loved her, Chloe…"

"… fuck you…"

"… at least, I thought I did."

"No, Nathan," said Victoria, gently. "It wasn't love. It was an obsession. I tried to tell you at the time, but…"

"… I didn't listen to you," said Nathan. "I know that now." He smiled, wanly. "I should have listened to you, Vic. I thought I loved her and I thought she loved me. She didn't, of course. She tells me every night now that she loves me, but it's not true, it's not love. It never was. She just wanted the stuff I could buy."

"Like drugs?"

"Yeah. She knew I could get the good shit."

"But," said Chloe, interrupting, "she was banging Frank. Couldn't she just get it off him?"

"I didn't know anything about that," said Nathan, shaking his head. "All I knew is that she wanted what I could give her. And I mistook it for love." He sighed. "Just like always. Just like… you." He looked at Jefferson. "I thought you loved me like, you know, like a father would, like mine didn't. But you didn't, you just wanted me as a scapegoat, didn't you?" He looked back at Victoria. "I'm sorry, Vic, I've screwed everything up. I… I didn't want to hurt anyone, I really didn't."

"I believe you, Nate," said Victoria, gently, "but you did hurt people, didn't you?"

Nathan nodded sadly and turned to Kate. "I'm sorry, Kate," he said, "I… I've nothing to offer you, only that I'm so _fucking sorry_! He made me do it, he's made me do everything." Kate nodded, tears forming in her eyes. She wasn't able to speak.

"Well, isn't this a nice how-do-you-do? I didn't make you abduct Rachel, you know," said Jefferson, breaking in. "You did that all by yourself. I'd never have sanctioned it."

"You told me I could! You said you thought she'd be a good model!"

"You know Rachel was banging Jeffershit, too, right?" said Chloe, and Nathan spun his head around to look at her. "You know that, right?"

"She wasn't. Shut up, Price! You fucking lying bitch!"

"Nope. Check if you want," said Chloe, turning to look at Jefferson.

By way of reply, Nathan also looked at Jefferson, who merely smiled and shrugged. "She was a nice… diversion. She wanted to be a model, and I was only too happy to oblige. She could be… quite creative. Mind you, she started getting quite clingy and needy." He shook his head. "Didn't like that. Didn't like that at all. Girls like that need to know their place, they need to know when to 'come', and when to go." He laughed. "See what I did there? So yes, you played your part very well, thank you Nathan. A little suggestion can go a long way, can't it?"

"You… you and Rachel."

"Yeah."

"You knew I wanted her!" Nathan got to his feet, fists clenched.

Jefferson smiled. "True. Made it all the more… fun."

"You used me!"

"Just working it out now, are you?" Jefferson smiled. "You were _most_ useful. There was no way I could have afforded all that equipment on my salary." He took a step to the side. "And yes, Ms Price, you're quite correct. I… I was glad to be offered the position here; things in Seattle were becoming a little too close for comfort, so it was time to move on." He took another step to the side. "You really are quite perceptive, Ms Price. It's a shame the rest of your life is such a fuckup, you really had a lot of, well, wasted potential." He suddenly grabbed Kate and pulled her away from the group. "I'll be going now. Max, don't reach for your gun, okay?" he continued. "We wouldn't want Miss Marsh to get hurt now, would we?" He looked across at Nathan. "It's been great, Nate," he laughed, "but all good things have to come to an end, you know. And this is it. Well, for you, anyway." He looked at Kate. "She was… quite unique. You know that, my dear?" Kate simply struggled in his grip, but he was far too strong for her. "I'm sorry, Miss Marsh, but you're coming with me." He saw the expression on the faces of the others, and smiled. "Oh, I won't keep her. Just enough time to… disappear, then she's free to go." He began to back away. "I guess this is goodbye then. Ciao!" He continued backing away, but he stopped when Nathan began to scream.

Chloe had never heard the like in her life before. The feral scream coming from Nathan's mouth was high-pitched, full of unbridled rage and yet, quite feminine in its pitch. He screamed, long and hard. "Jefferson!" he yelled. "You fucking prick! You made a fucking fool of me, there's no way you're leaving me to take the rap for everything you did. You made me abduct girls for you, you made me break the law for you. _And you made me kill Rachel Amber! I fucking hate you!_ " He took off at a run, which took everyone by surprise, including Jefferson. Before he could react, Nathan had reached him and punched him in the face. In his shock, he cast Kate aside and attempted to defend himself, but Nathan just kept going. Like a rugby player in the front row of the scrum, he put his head down and charged, arms wide. They wrapped around Jefferson's body and, with him already off-balance, propelled them both backwards.

" _Go to hell, you motherfucking cunt!_ " yelled Nathan, his legs pumping as he pushed Jefferson towards the cliff edge. Suddenly seeing what was about to happen, Mark Jefferson tried to arrest Nathan's run, but he was too strong and determined, and Jefferson was too off-balance to make any difference.

"You fucking…" he managed to get out before they both plunged off the cliff, Nathan yelling in rage, and Jefferson finally succumbing to his fear and screaming all the way down. Both screams were suddenly cut short by the awful thump of the impact of two bodies smashing into the rocks below.

…

There was a stunned silence for many minutes as the storm continued to rage around the four girls. Kate had sank into Victoria's arms, Max similarly with Chloe, and all four were on the ground, staring blankly at the cliff's edge, nobody knowing quite what to say. The trees around them moaned and complained in the wind, and eventually Max spoke, her small voice almost being blown away.

"Is it… over?"

By way of reply, Victoria stood and limped to the edge of the cliff, looking over and down. After a few seconds, she walked back and resumed her position embracing Kate, who was silently crying.

"It's over," she said. "They're both… they're both gone."

Chloe looked across at Victoria. "Good," she said. "Good riddance." She looked back at Max. "We're safe here, right? What about the storm?" Max started and looked up.

"You're right," she said, "we need to… it's safe up here, but we can't be too close to the lighthouse, because it's going to…" At that moment, the huge boat, drawn up by the storm, shot out of the tornado and headed straight for the lighthouse. Max noticed it and jumped up. "Everyone! _Move! Now!_ "

All four girls jumped to their feet, Victoria a lot slower than the rest. Chloe saw this and shouted to Max and Kate "Go!" She quickly ran across to Victoria and helped her up. "Come on, Chase," she said. "Kate'll never forgive me if you don't make it!" She fairly dragged the blonde girl across the clearing and into the trees, just as the boat smashed into the lighthouse and chunks of masonry and wood began raining down on the spot where they'd just been sitting. Both Chloe and Victoria were thrown to the ground by the force of the impact, and they looked up to see the giant light creak, move, and begin to fall. It crashed into the cliff, cutting out a chunk of it as it continued its destructive path down, smashing into the rocks below.

Chloe whistled as the smashing of glass and masonry against the rocks ceased. "Wow," she said, looking around at her friends, "they're _really_ not getting out of it now." She collapsed back on the ground. "We're safe here, right? 'Cause I ain't moving. Nuh-uh."

"Yes," laughed Max, relief taking over her emotions as she struggled not to cry. "We're safe here." Her emotions then took over and she began to cry in earnest. Chloe immediately forgot her previous statement and rushed over to her, Kate taking her place with Victoria, and took Max in her arms.

"It's really over?" cried Max. "I mean, really, honest-to-dog over?"

"It's really over, baby," whispered Chloe. "We survived."

"And… we're… okay?"

"We're together, Max. You and me. Finally, we're just… together." She smiled. "Of course we're okay."

"Yeah."

They sat like that for a while, each girl breaking into tears, some silent, some not-so-silent, but eventually they were able to think clearly. Victoria and Kate stood first, brushing themselves off.

"I don't know about you guys," said Victoria, through chattering teeth, "but I'm _really_ cold." Next to her, Kate started giggling, which set them all off and a few moments, all that could be heard over the storm was the sound of four girls, laughing and giggling uncontrollably.

"So, what now?" said Chloe, returning the conversation to the serious.

"We have to tell the police about Nathan and Jefferson," said Max. "They need to know what happened. They need to know that we're safe and sound. Joyce'll be worried sick." She thought. "They'll need to know that Nathan… that he… did what he… did."

"I can't believe he actually did that," said Victoria.

"Jeffershit?"

"No, Nathan," said Victoria. "I mean, I thought I knew the guy. Just shows, I guess. I mean, I've known him since we were… a long time." She sighed. "Shit, I can't believe it."

"If it helps," said Kate, "I really think he was remorseful there, at the end. He sounded… different. You know, like he really was sorry." She paused and continued, hesitantly. "I think he was telling the truth. I don't think he wanted to hurt her."

"Doesn't excuse what he did," said Chloe.

"That's true. I know what he did to Rachel was inexcusable," said Kate, "but I think there were extenuating circumstances that we have to take into consideration. Mr Jefferson really didn't help, and really it was because of him that Nathan did what he did."

"I know that, doesn't make it right though."

"Of course not," said Kate, "but, at the end, he finally understood what he'd done, and what he'd become. And don't forget that, ultimately, he saved us."

"I guess," said Chloe, "but it doesn't even the score. Not by a long shot."

"So," said Max, changing the subject, "after we tell the police?"

"I don't know," said Victoria. "I guess we find out the damage." She checked the time. "The students should be safe at the bunker, I know Joyce got people out of the hospital and the Two Whales, so hopefully there won't be too many casualties." She took a quick look around. "There'll be damage, though. Nothing we can do about that."

"Damage can be rebuilt," said Kate. "At least people should be safe. I'll miss the Two Whales, though."

"That's probably gone," said Chloe, sadly. "It was right on the seafront." She thought, then continued wistfully. "It'll be weird not having the Two Whales to go to. Lots of memories there. Some happy, some… not quite so happy, but memories all the same." She sighed. "I need to find Joyce."

"And David," reminded Max.

"Yeah," said Chloe. "And… David." She sighed. "He's going to be incorrigible, isn't he?"

Max grinned. "Yup," she said. "He'll want to look after you and Joyce, he won't want to let you out of his sight, he'll be…" she giggled at the look of desperate horror on Chloe's face.

"… wanting to look after you too," said Chloe, returning the giggle as any semblance of colour drained out of Max's face, too. "And your parents will probably be down." A thought crossed her mind. "What about our house?"

"If it's damaged, you'll just have to stay with me for a while," said Max, smiling. "We can… get to know each other."

"Guys, get a…" started Victoria, then realised what she was about to say, and a small giggle escaped Kate's lips. "Just keep it down, okay?" She sighed. "Like that's gonna happen. Kate, you and I'll have to get some earplugs."

"Seriously, though," said Max. "Since we… got together, we haven't really had a chance to spend any time together." She stood. "Come on, the storm will be over soon. We need to get going." She turned to Victoria. "Kate's driving, yeah?"

"She's… how do you know?"

Max shook her head. "It's the second time you've come for me and Chloe," she said. "Only last time it didn't work out as well. Can you walk?"

"It's… kind of," she said, "but I can't really put any weight on it."

"I'll help her," said Kate. "But perhaps you'd drive? I'm not really comfortable with that big car." Chloe looked quizzically at Victoria, who nodded.

"Just don't break it, okay?" she said, and Chloe grinned.

"Trust me," she said, and Victoria groaned.

"What's wrong?" said Kate. "Is your ankle…"

"No, it's just Price," said Victoria. "The thought of trusting her…" She began to walk, keeping her weight firmly on Kate. The ground was slippery, and several times she nearly fell, but Kate, with Chloe's quick reflexes, managed to prevent it from happening. Eventually, they reached the car, and the storm seemed to be dying down. Kate helped Victoria in, but Chloe hung back.

"Can you… uh, give us a couple of minutes?" she said, grabbing Max by the hand.

"Uh, sure," said Victoria, and she sighed. "Just… get it out of your system, okay?"

"What?" said Kate, then looked at Victoria's face. Realisation hit her, and her face reddened and she turned away, to the amusement of Chloe and Victoria. Chloe led Max back into the trees and, away from the view of the others, took her in her arms and swung her around.

"Chloe!" screeched Max in surprise, as the punk spun her around and backed her up against a tree.

"Max…" Chloe's voice was low and husky. "I…"

"Chloe, what's got…" Max sounded taken aback, but she offered no resistance as Chloe gently leaned into her and their lips met.

The next few minutes passed by in a flash. Chloe's lips felt as soft as they did at the same time the previous week, although this time there was far more feeling, far more emotion involved, and it wasn't so much a kiss goodbye, but a kiss hello. Their tongues met, and neurons fired off in Max's brain, causing her to gently moan and move against Chloe in response.

All too soon it was over. Their lips parted company, leaving Max bemoaning the separation, and she made her displeasure known to Chloe, who simply smiled.

"There's far more of that to come," she whispered into Max ear. "But we can't keep the ice-queen waiting, now can we?" In response, Max grabbed Chloe's lapels and pulled her into another steamy kiss, one that left both girls breathless once it was over. "Wowsers," breathed Chloe as they parted, earning a playful slap from Max. Both girls smiled.

"It's really over?" said Max, and Chloe nodded.

"This chapter is," she said. "Now it's on to the next chapter. Although, there is one major difference."

"Oh? And what's that?" asked Max.

"You have no idea what's coming this time," said Chloe, impishly. "That makes us even."

"Yeah, you carry on thinking that," said Max, earning a shocked look from Chloe, which just set her off laughing again. "I'm kidding! I'm kidding," she said, laughing, and taking Chloe's hand. "Come on, follow me."

"Where are we going?"

"To start the rest of our lives. You and me."

"Partners in crime?"

"Partners in time."


	56. 55 Author's Notes

Life is Strange.

Started: 24th February 2016

Finished: 14th June 2016

I Know That Life Is Strange

Started: 19th June 2016

Finished: 28th April 2017

First of all, thanks so much for following me through the completion of this series, which started over a year ago. I apologise that chapter updates were a little less regular for the last ten chapters or so, but I am grateful. When I started this, I hoped that a few people would read and enjoy the story, but, as I write these notes, over 85,000 of you have read this, which is way beyond my wildest dreams. In this chapter, I hope to give you an insight into my thought processes for writing the second part of this series.

When writing a story, there are two main ways to go about it. First, you know what's going to happen and you can plan out each chapter. You know where it's starting, where it's ending, who says what to who, and what happens to the characters. I tried that once, but found it way too restrictive. So I tend to go with the second option. You know _basically_ what's going to happen, you know where the chapter starts and pretty much where it ends, but what actually happens? You've no idea until you actually sit down and write it. Also, you have no idea how the story will end. I love the idea of sitting down to write a story because you want to find out how it ends.

So that's where I am with this story. I should also say that even with this approach, it's important to set yourself rules. For example, I am not sticking to the events of the game in this story. That was for the previous entity. Here I giving myself far more creative freedom. However, I still need to stick to certain rules. Such as: events not involving Max will inevitably pan out the same way that they did previously, _unless Max actively or passively intervenes._ Characters will behave in the same way they did to Max previously, Max cannot change the way she feels about Chloe (so no Marshfield or Chasefield). Sticking to those rules will give me a grounding and let the story play out naturally.

I've never been a massive fan of self-insertion fanfics, but, rather ironically, this has all the hallmarks and qualities of such a story. Max finds herself in a situation she knows about. She knows what is going to happen and thus she has the power to change it.

I've had questions about why she didn't mention Chloe to Wells. I think at this point she is still in shock at what she's actually done. The ramifications of her decision to doom the town again are really playing on her mind, and she wants to keep Chloe out of this as long as possible. Chapters 2 and 3, while there are a few changes, they are really the same events playing out, and Max taking the time to connect with Daniel and Stella, Juliet and Dana like she did before. The major change is the way she deals with Victoria and the paint. Be prepared – she needs to sow the seeds for the future (and of course it pays off unexpectedly towards the end of the chapter.) The first major change is the parking lot. In attempting to head Warren off at the pass, she ends up being too harsh and he leaves her alone with Nathan. I don't think he did that on purpose, but she hurt him, and guys take rejection in different ways. So the reunion with Chloe plays out differently, and she is ready for David as well.

The lighthouse scene sort of wrote itself. I wasn't sure how I was going to end the chapter, but Chloe getting mad seemed aa great way to add some angst. Things were going far too well for Max!

The chapter was supposed to end there, but when I came back to rewrite, I ended up bring Victoria back into it. Actually having that conversation now rather than Wednesday opens up some interesting possibilities that I plan to exploit in later episodes.

I confess to being a little concerned about the way Nathan acts towards Victoria. I've not written much of Nathan before, but I do feel that with his instability, talking to him could be a little like a game of Russian Roulette. I don't condone any sort of violence towards anyone (especially women), but, much as I hated writing it (and tried to get over it quickly), I do believe that it is consistent with his state of mind that he could turn on Victoria if he was getting stressed.

When I started the story, the intention was to keep things generally the same, not use the rewind powers and change the odd thing here and there to show that Max was trying to improve the situation but not change it. This didn't last very long, though. It was soon clear that, once Max began to fiddle, things would spiral out of control, and they did. None more so than the way Victoria changed her attitude. Max knew what buttons to push, and over the course of the week, she changed her attitude completely. When I started these author's notes, I planned to go into depth about the changes (see earlier paragraph) but I'm not going to do that now. I'm just going to give you an insight into my thought processes.

I had in my head, a plan that would see Jefferson get hold of Max sometime on Wednesday, rather than Thursday evening. Chloe getting involved wasn't part of that plan; however, it's funny how sometimes the story starts to write itself. I found that several times during this process; characters would insert themselves into the plot in unexpected places; the plot itself would take an unexpected turn. Originally, the story would have ended after Max and Chloe freed themselves, but as it happened a little earlier than expected, I knew that I need to go further and resolve the arc in a more satisfactory way. That's one of the reasons why the updates became a little further out – I was trying to sort out exactly what was happening, why it was happening, and how it happened.

I (kind of, but not really) apologise for the cliff-hangers. I've always thought a good cliff-hanger is great, a good way to keep interest as the story grows; however I do realise that a lot of fanfictions (and TV shows, come to that) are canned/abandoned/cancelled and there is nothing worse than an unresolved cliff-hanger. That is why I was absolutely positive at the outset that I would finish the story and keep as regular updates as I could.

I realise these notes are a little rambling, so I'm going to stop writing here. For all intents and purposes, this is the end of the story. I won't be doing a third part, I need to start work on a stage play before I come back to fanfiction. If you have any comments or questions you'd like me to answer, I will open this up. Put them in the reviews/comments and in a month or so, if there's enough questions, I'll write up one more chapter with any answers or more comments in them.

Finally, thank you so much for reading, it's your reviews and comments (and my commitment to finishing the project) that has really kept me going and motivated me to improve as I've gone along.

Cheers.


	57. 56 Epilogue Part 1

"Ready?"

Max looked around the room one last time. Outside, Chloe was biting her lip in frustration.

"Come on, Super-Max," she said, hopping from foot to foot. "David's waiting."

"I know," said Max, her eyes suddenly welling up without warning. "I just…" She stopped speaking and Chloe's demeanour softened.

"Hey," she whispered, dropping her bag and pulling her girlfriend into a tight hug. "We can wait a few more minutes if you want, David's not going anywhere," she said.

"I know, I'm sorry," said Max. "It's just… well, you know."

"I know," said Chloe, letting her girlfriend go and moving her bag back inside. She fired off a quick text to her stepfather and the two girls sat back inside on the bed. "What's up, Maxine?"

"Chloe!" admonished Max. "You know it's…"

"Max, never Maxine. Yeah," said Chloe with a wry smile. "Got your attention though, didn't I?"

"Dork."

"Takes one to know one," said Chloe, eliciting a grin out of Max again. "So why don't you 'fess up?"

"About what?" said Max, feigning innocence. "Nothing to see here."

"Yeah right," said the punk. "Not gonna wash on me, kid. It's not easy to let go, is it?" she said, continuing softly, looking around the small Blackwell dorm, now almost completely empty.

"You know me too well," sniffed Max, and Chloe bumped shoulders with the smaller girl.

"Understandable," she said. "It's been a good home for the last couple of months, yeah?" Max nodded, and she continued. "We were lucky, I guess. Blackwell escaped most of the damage. Luckier than our house and, well… you know, some other people."

Max closed her eyes, the pain evident in her memories.

 _It's true, it's all true. We did save many, but not everyone. Victoria's plan worked brilliantly, together with Taylor and Courtney, the party in the bunker was… well, successful is one way of describing it. Morbid and totally fucking disturbing is another way, but at least people were safe. Joyce managed to mobilise the hospital, so people were safe there, but in the town…_

The tabloids and news outlets had marvelled that, for such an unexpected and ferocious storm, the death toll was surprisingly low. Nobody was totally certain of the exact number, but most outlets put the figure in the mid teens. Most notable among the casualties were disgraced Blackwell teacher Mark Jefferson and noted heir of the Prescott fortune, Nathan. Their bodies were found at the bottom of the cliff near the lighthouse; it was speculated that the two of them had tried to make their escape, got caught by the storm and tried to shelter near the lighthouse, only to tragically fall to their deaths when the lighthouse was hit.

Nobody knew what had actually happened, however. That was a secret shared between four people, and four people alone, and they weren't telling anyone.

…

Since they'd returned from the lighthouse that fateful Friday, things had quickly returned to a sense of normality.

Yeah right.

Most of the town nearest the coast had been totally destroyed, the damage was extensive as far inland as the hospital and police station, although thankfully Blackwell was spared for the most part. There may have been far fewer fatalities than expected for a storm of that size, but there were a fair few casualties, and the hospital, damaged as it was, was unable to cope so most of the lightly wounded people (both because of the storm and already in the hospital) had been moved out, David included. Joyce had followed him to his new hospital, where he'd stayed for a couple of weeks, resting up before they discharged him with strict instructions to rest. Instructions which he would have instantly broken had it not been for a glare or two (and threats of divorce) from Joyce. Their home damaged, they'd been put up in a nearby hotel while repairs were carried out.

The events had taken more of a toll on the four girls. Victoria had remained stoic. Well, stoic in public, and especially when she was around her new best friend Kate. But Max knew that, behind the strength lay a pain that wasn't going away any time soon. Losing a friend was always hard, but losing one in those circumstances was almost unimaginable, and many nights Max was sure she heard quiet sobbing coming from the room opposite. She was pretty sure that Kate could hear it, too.

And that left Chloe. Her house was damaged and uninhabitable; her step-father in hospital and her mother looking after him. So, naturally, she moved in with Max. Blackwell were a little reluctant at first, but a call from their head of security (and a promise from Chloe) eased their minds a little.

"Hey," said Chloe, breaking Max out of her thoughts. "Come on, it's time we weren't here."

"I know," said Max, quietly. She looked hopefully out of the door, but everything was silent. "Did Tori leave already?"

"Yeah, she's going to spend Christmas with Kate and her family," said Chloe, getting up and looking outside. "They left early to get ahead of the traffic." She paused, thinking. "I'm not sure if the Marsh family know quite what they're getting into."

Max grinned. "After reading that card when… well, let's just say that it might also apply to Tori." She shivered. "Auntie Marsh was quite harsh." She paused, then giggled.

"Nice rhyme, Max-the-beat-poet-Caulfield," said Chloe, joining in with the giggles.

"Seriously, Chlo," said Max, "her aunt really was harsh. She basically condemned Kate's soul to hell for all eternity. And her mother wasn't that much better." She sighed. "I just hope they'll…"

"Well, surely they know it's a sin, right?" said Chloe.

"What is?"

Chloe raised her eyebrows. "Max, come on," she said.

Max furrowed her brow. "Come on with…" she said, tailing her voice off.

"Max, seriously?"

"You mean…" Max's mouth formed a large 'O'. "No, they're not… I mean, they're…"

"You sure about that?" said Chloe, grinning. "They've certainly grown close in the last couple of months."

"Yeah, but, I mean, you know, they're not… No," said Max, adamant. "I don't think so." She thought about it. "If they are, they've kept it very quiet. I mean, _very_ quiet." She thought some more. "It's impossible to keep something like that quiet around here. Even more so with _you_ around."

"Hey!" protested Chloe, and Max laughed.

"No, they're not… I mean, they're just good friends, Chlo," she said. She sighed again and looked around. The desk was empty, the walls bare. Gone were the lanterns and the 'Max Caulfield Photo Memorial Wall', all carefully packed up, ready to be reinstated in a more permanent location.

"It's a pity you can't leave your stuff here," said Chloe, "But I guess it's for the best."

"Yeah, they don't know how long the checks will take," said Max. "Although we've been here for a couple of months now, so they can't be too worried."

"Still, it means you get to live with us for a while," said Chloe, suddenly grinning. "Just like old times, yeah?"

"Well, actually," said Max, and Chloe face dropped, "I'm hoping that it'll be all new times. Good times, Chloe. I think we deserve that."

Chloe brightened up just as quickly at hearing Max's commitment. "It'll be awesome!" She gave Max a quick peck on the cheek and jumped up. "Come on. David's grumpy enough as it is."

"Should he be even driving?"

"Ssh!" whispered Chloe, conspiratorially. "You know him, he'll go completely tonto on us if he's stuck in that house any longer. Plus, he wanted to pick us up. You know how he is." She grinned and picked up her bag. "Come on, Super-Max."

Max picked up her bag and took one final look around the room. Hopefully, she'd be able to return there after the checks and repairs were done. Honestly, she couldn't see what all the fuss was about. They'd been living there quite happily for a couple of months, why now? She sighed heavily and walked outside into the corridor, where Chloe was waiting for her. She smiled, although a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, turned and locked the door.

 _Would have been nice to see Tori and Kate again before they left._

She smiled again, a proper smile this time, as her eye caught her slate. Someone, most likely Kate, had drawn a beautiful little illustration of a cat, head turned to the side, waving a paw. The caption underneath read "smell you later".

 _Nice Kate. Beautiful drawing, as always._

Drawing a soft breath, she turned to Chloe. "Let's go, Chlo." Her girlfriend laughed.

"Enough with the rhymes, Max," she said. "Come on."

…

"Hi girls," said David, a smile magically appearing on his otherwise gruff face. "You took your time." He grinned. "Lateness was always frowned upon in the army. You know, punctuality, discipline, obedi…"

"…yeah yeah, we know all about it, David," said Chloe, snarkily. "Good thing we're not in the army, then." She grinned, and David pursed his lips in frustration.

"Just get in," he growled, good-naturedly, "I've been waiting here too long already." The girls dumped their bags in the boot and jumped in the car; Chloe in the front and Max sitting behind her. "Both ready to go?" The two girls nodded. "Good," he said, starting the engine. He looked around before releasing the handbrake, and the car pulled away, Max glancing wistfully behind as they left the parking lot.

 _Goodbye… for now._

As the car pulled out onto the main road, Max swivelled back in her seat to face forward, her mind wandering.

 _It's been so nice living with Chloe these last few weeks. I mean, it's been a bit surreal, if I'm honest, but nice. Surreal, but nice. Aha! Notting Hill. Twenty points to me._

 _No, I mean, having Chloe with me has been great. Although the space has been somewhat limited… two people in a single room is… challenging, and even more so when I was trying to study… especially that time where I needed to learn for that stupid chiaroscuro test she gave us and Chloe decided she'd…_

A smile reached Max's lips and she blushed, glad that she was in the back seat where Chloe couldn't see her.

 _Chloe._

 _My rock._

 _My love._

"She ok?" David asked quietly, nodding his head at Max.

"Yeah," said Chloe, equally quietly. "It's been… tough for her, I know."

"I get that," said David. "When I saw her in the principal's office, when I saw her having that panic attack, I knew exactly what it meant."

"They've been… well, they haven't gone completely," admitted Chloe, "but they are far less frequent now."

"Good," said her stepfather. "And you?"

"What about me?"

"How are you holding up?" David smiled. "I know you, Chloe. I know you'll stay as strong as you can for Max, but I also know you have a lot of pain in there." He nodded towards her head. "I can see it, trying to hide behind your eyes."

"How do you…"

"…know?" David smiled again. "I know you, Chloe. We may have butted heads for the most part, but I can still see you. And read you." He nodded back at Max, who was looking out of the window. "She needs you, even I can see that."

"She…"

"… and I know you need her. Shit, we all need someone, right?" He nodded again. "Look after her, Chloe."

"I intend to."

"I don't mean that. You need to look after yourself first."

"No way, David, she…"

"… listen to me, Chloe," he said. "Take some advice from your… friend. You need to look after her, yes. I get that. But you can't do that if you don't look after yourself as well. So make sure you're okay, then you can make sure _she's_ ok. Yeah?"

"I guess."

David grinned. "I guess that's as close as I'm going to get to an agreement." His expression morphed quickly back to a serious one. "I mean it, Chloe. You've got her, but you've also got your mom and me." He paused. "We can help. We _want_ to help. We all want to see the two of you happy."

"Okay, I get it, David," said Chloe, smiling. "I'll… try."

"That's all I can ask for," he said, then Chloe cocked her head, thinking.

"Is everything set?" she asked, and Max's ears suddenly twitched.

"All in place," said David.

"What's set?" asked Max, curious.

"Oh, the house, you know," said Chloe. "It's…"

"… been such a while since we've been able to live there," said David, breaking in, "Chloe wanted to make sure everything was in place ready for when you both arrived." He looked to the left and pulled out on to the main coastal road. "They've done a good job, haven't they?"

Max involuntarily nodded, remembering the time she drove Jefferson's beamer down the coastal road during the storm. To be fair, David was correct. A lot of work had been done on the road to return it to its former glories. The damage to the surface had been repaired, the rubble had been cleared (but the houses that had been damaged or destroyed hadn't yet been rebuilt, including the Two Whales, much to Max's chagrin) and the road was once again usable.

It was a beautiful day, the sun low on the horizon, shining its warm glow along the beach road. Max did feel a quick wisp of sadness as they passed where the Two Whales had sat, nothing there now but a large clear space (it wasn't clear if the Two Whales was actually going to be replaced – there was talk of an out-of-town developer coming in to buy up the whole plot and build new luxury flats) but it quickly dissipated as the car continued past the area and turned off the road into the housing estate. The Price household, Max knew, was just a few minutes away.

 _I wonder what it'll be like to share a room with Chloe again._

She smiled.

 _Actually, now we're… involved, will we even be allowed to share a room?_

Her smile grew wider.

 _Doesn't matter. We'll find a way, I guess._

Max smiled as the car pulled into the driveway. Her smile grew even wider when she saw the house.

"You painted it!" she said, and David smiled.

"Yup," he said. "Thought it needed touching up." He paused. "Well, that and the new walls, floors, et cetera."

The house was almost as good as new. The dirty, unpainted boards had been replaced and painted in a new bright blue; the windows were clean and gleaming, and the garage door shining with a new coat of paint. The grass outside, and everywhere still had track marks and damage all around, but the house was looking good.

"Good job," said Chloe, nodding appreciatively. "Looks… finished."

 _It's the first time since William died that anything's been done on the house, and to think that David did it!_

"Thanks Chloe," he said, turning off the engine and stopping the car on the drive. "I wanted to… you know, make it look good. For you and Joyce."

"Thanks." Chloe climbed out of the car and moved to the boot, but David stopped her.

"I'll get your bags, Chloe," he said. "You and Max go in, make yourselves at home. I'll be right behind you."

"Uh, okay," said Chloe, confused, but she opened the door for Max. "Come on, Maxi-pad, let's go and, you know…"

"…make ourselves at home?"

"You got it!" Both girls headed to the door, Chloe noticing the lack of the American flag that had adorned the front door for the past few years. "New door," she said, nodding.

"Yeah, looks good," said Max, looking up and around. "They've done a decent job." She lowered her voice. "David's made a real effort here, Chlo."

"I know," she whispered back. "It looks good." She opened the door and smiled. "Welcome back, Max." They stepped inside, turned and closed the door, and went into the living room, looking around. Then they nearly jumped out of their skins.

" _Surprise!_ "


	58. 57 Epilogue Part 2

" _Surprise!_ "

The cacophony of shouts and yells caused both Max to jump out of their skin.

"Jesus!" gasped Max, before managing to calm herself down and look around. What she saw made her smile. To be fair, the word smile didn't even come close.

"Come on," said Chloe, bounding into the lounge. A drink was thrust into her hand, and another offered to Max. In a daze, she took it and sipped it, smiling as her vision cleared and she recognised Kate in front of her.

"Kate!" she squealed, throwing her arms around her friend. "What are you…" Then she saw everyone else.

The lounge was full of people. Behind Kate stood Victoria, looking resplendent as always, standing next to both Taylor and Courtney. Dana and Juliet were both there too, and Chloe had even managed to persuade Justin and Trevor to take time out of their busy schedules to come along. Daniel was sat in a corner, smiling quietly and talking to Stella, while Joyce was bustling around the kitchen, making drinks and snacks.

"How did… I mean… when did you…" Max looked around at Chloe, who was grinning like a madman.

"See, it occurred to me," she began, "that we need a house-warming party. And it occurred to me, not sure why or how I even considered this, but it occurred to me that Tori did a pretty good job of organising the party last time around. So… I may have suggested it to her last week, and she may have… you know… run with it." Chloe grinned again. "Hope you like it."

"Like it?" said Max. "It's a wonderful surprise." She paused, thinking. "You co-operated with Tori?" Chloe grinned sheepishly.

"Yeah," she said. "Wouldn't have thought it possible last year."

"How things change."

"Hey!" Tori called, walking over. "I heard my name." She smiled and accepted a drink from Kate. "Verdict?"

"Lovely surprise," said Max. "I was hoping to see you both before you went, but this is… well, it's something else."

"She was quite down earlier when she thought you'd left," laughed Chloe. "Sorry babe, but I couldn't say anything," she said, putting a hand on Max's shoulder.

"S'okay, I guess," Max faux-grumped, then grinned. "I _was_ disappointed, but well… this…"

"Yeah, Tori's done an okay job, I guess."

"Hi girls!" called Joyce from the kitchen. Chloe immediately threw her arms around her mother, who took a step back, surprised by the forcefulness of the hug. "Hello you," she said, returning the hug fondly. "I've missed you too, Chloe."

"How did you…"

"I'm your mother," said Joyce, smiling warmly. "There's nothing I don't know about you." She released her daughter and opened her arms to her other daughter, who gratefully accepted. "Hi Max," she said. "Welcome home."

…

"…so that was a fantastic idea of Vic's, holding the party there." Dana looked perfect as always, resplendent in a faded white t-shirt and ripped jeans. She was sat on the sofa with Max, arm around her friend. "I mean, what a great idea that was of hers, to…" She stopped and looked up. Chloe was there, eyebrow raised, looking pointedly at both Dana and Victoria. "Chloe?"

"Dana." Chloe cleared her throat, and Max couldn't help but smile, noticing her girlfriend's eyes twinkling. "Sorry, I didn't mean to butt in. You were saying about _Victoria's_ great idea." Max was trying her best not to giggle, but only just about holding it in.

"Yes," gabbled Dana, "I mean, it was such a good idea, wasn't it? Although, when I first heard about it, I thought it was such a macabre idea, I mean, holding a party in that place? But when we got there, they'd done it out really well, and it was so lucky as well that we were there, you know, because of the storm, and…"

"Tori," said Chloe, acknowledging the blonde girl's approach. "Dana was just telling us about your fantastic idea."

Victoria furrowed her brow. "My idea…. Which one?"

"The party," said Dana. "I was just saying how macabre I thought it was going to be, but it turned out so well. It was such a great idea of yours."

"Ah yes, _that_ idea," said Victoria, sneaking a glance at Chloe and noticing her twinkling eyes. "Well, I mean, of course it was a good idea. When have I _not_ had such a good idea?" Max could barely hold in her giggles at this point and had to turn away, holding her mouth. Chloe, however, was doing a far better job at deadpanning the situation. "In fact, I would go so far as to say it was one of _my_ more brilliant ideas. And of course it wouldn't have worked if it wasn't for my minions." She grinned suddenly. "They did do an excellent job, to be fair."

"Max?" Dana felt her friend's shoulders shaking and turned to her in sudden alarm. "Is everything alright?" Max couldn't hold it in any longer and turned back to Dana, bursting out laughing. "Max?" she asked again, but Max couldn't respond. "Chloe? What's up with Max? I thought she was upset about…"

"Ah yeah, Max isn't so good at holding things in," said Chloe. "You may have noticed that from time to time."

"Yeah," agreed Victoria.

"I… I don't understand."

"Well," said Victoria. "I can't take _all_ the credit for the party. It… it wasn't actually my idea at all."

"Really?" said Dana, her brow furrowing. "I thought you…"

"Yeah, I took the task on, and immediately delegated it to Taylor and Courts, but it wasn't actually my idea. In fact," she continued, "I didn't really do anything at all except task my two minions."

"So… whose idea was…" said Dana, her voice catching as Victoria took a long, pointed look at the blue-haried punk standing next to her, smirking. "Chloe? It was… it was _you_?"

"Yup," said Chloe, finally breaking into a smile. "I don't get many brilliant ideas, but every now and again…"

"And you let me gush?" Dana was appalled, but Chloe just continued grinning.

"Yeah, I mean, it was quite entertaining," she said.

"Oh Chloe, I'm so sorry," said Dana, looking abashed, but Chloe just grinned some more.

"Don't worry about it, Dana," she said, "I know I'm not seen as the ideas-man, exactly. Anyway, I convinced Tori to go along with it and she did do a fantastic job."

"Taylor and Courts did," corrected Victoria. "Honestly, I didn't really have much input in it at all." She smiled. "It was… nice, actually, to ask them to do it and trust they would, rather than just ordering them around."

"But you still call them your minions?" Dana was confused.

"Yeah, but it doesn't mean the same thing now. It's just a little in-joke we use sometimes," said Victoria. "And I have Max to thank for that."

Dana turned to Max. "I think we all have a lot to thank Max for," she said. "Max has had quite the influence on us over the last term. And I don't think we've really appreciated her for it."

"I don't know…" said Max, feeling uncomfortable, but Chloe quickly recognised her emotion and stepped in.

"Well, y'all know Max doesn't like the limelight," she said, "but I do know she's had a hella influence on me, and a few others. She doesn't like to admit it, but we all know what she's done for us."

"I know what she's done for me," said Kate, joining in the conversation and sipping a cup of something orange. She took a bit of a small cupcake and sat down next to Max, cuddling in to her friend. "She was there for me right when I needed her to be."

"Aww Maxi-pad getting all embarrassed," cooed Chloe with a smirk as Max began to blush furiously, causing the other girls to laugh good-naturedly. "Let's finish up this section of Max-worship, shall we? Save her blushes." Chloe raised her glass. "I'll just say this. Having Max back in my life is perfect and, dare I say, serendipitous… yeah yeah, quiet down," she said, in answer to the chorus of laughs, "I'm not used to big words, I know. But Max has come into my life, and yours as well, and she's made some changes. Some of them are quite small, some are far more momentous," here she smiled at Max, "and I suspect that she's made far more changes in our lives than we are prepared to admit to, or even realise." Max continued to blush, but Chloe wasn't quite finished. "She's the sort of friend that everyone wants. Great fun, not too intrusive, and totally reliable. Oh, and completely hot," she added, amid further blushes from Max and hoots from the rest. She raised her glass in tribute. "To Max."

"To Max!" chorused everyone.

"And all who sail in her!" added Victoria, earning an embarrassed giggle from Max, and a glare from both Chloe and Kate.

…

"You have to go?"

"Sorry Max," said Kate, "but yeah, if we don't go now, we won't get there tonight. Even with Tori's driving," she added, sneakily, but Victoria didn't hear.

"I'm gonna miss you," said Max, throwing her arms around Kate, who gratefully reciprocated.

"It's only for a couple of weeks," she said, "I'll see you in the new year."

"Yeah, I know, but we won't be living opposite each other then."

"True, but we're not that far away," said Kate. "And you know we'll be back in Blackwell before you know it." She looked around for Victoria, who was whispering something in Chloe's ear, causing the blue-haired girl to blush fiercely. "I wonder what they're talking about."

"By Chloe's reaction, I'm sure they're planning something to do with me," said Max. "Look," she continued, drawing her friend to one side. "Are you sure you're, you know, okay with…"

"Maxine Caulfield," said Kate, "we've had this discussion before, haven't we? I know what the bible says, but I also know reality. It was written two thousand years ago, and what sort of a God would he be if he didn't love people who truly loved each other? You're perfect for each other, I can see that. Hell, everyone can see that. So don't worry. Just… just don't feel forced into anything you don't want to do, that's all." She smiled. "Not that I have to tell you that, of course."

"I know. Thanks Kate," said Max.

"No," she said. "Thank _you_ , Max." Her face sobered for a moment. "We both know where I would be now if you hadn't… if you hadn't spoken to Victoria. You really _did_ have my back."

"And now Victoria does," said Max. "I'm sure everything will be fine over Christmas."

"I don't know," said Kate. "I mean, you saw the letter and postcard from my mother and aunt."

"I'm sure they'll have forgiven you…"

"…my aunt won't," said Kate. "My mother, well, she's going to have another shock as well either tonight or tomorrow. We've got something else to tell them, too." She smirked, and Max's mouth fell open.

"Kate Marsh, are you…"

"Anyway," continued Kate, brightly. "Time to go. Come on, Tori!" she called and, after a final hug, Victoria separated from her scheming with Chloe and joined them. "Bye Chloe, bye Max," she said, and, after similar from Victoria, the two of them climbed into the car and drive away, leaving Max completely open-mouthed and flummoxed.

"Max?"

Slowly, Max turned to look at her girlfriend.

"Max, are you here? Earth to Max!"

"She…"

"What?"

"Kate…"

"Max, you're not making any sense."

"I think Kate and Victoria..."

"Ah, did Kate say something?" At these words, Max returned to reality.

"You knew?"

"Max, we're going to have a little chat later on, okay?" said Chloe, her face lighting up in silent laughter. "But for now, let's just go in." She sighed. "Everyone's gone now, it's just us. Mom and David are going out for dinner tonight, so we have the house completely to ourselves." She grabbed Max's hand and pulled her inside. "Come on."

"Thanks Chloe."

"What? What for?"

"The party," said Max, allowing herself to be led inside. "You knew I wanted to see Tori and Kate before they left, but you went that extra mile."

"You're worth it, babe," said Chloe, giving Max a quick peck on the cheek. "To see the look of unbridled joy on your face when you saw everyone, well, that made the whole thing worth it right there."

"You're so good to me."

"Right back at ya. Okay, enough with the sop," said Chloe. "I'm stuffed, so let's just crash and watch a film."

"Yeah," said Max, happily. "Sounds good. What do you want to watch?"

"Nuh-uh," said Chloe, "tonight it's your choice, Supermax." She nuzzled in close as they sat on the big sofa. "So, what'll it be?"

Max thought for a moment, and broke into a smile.

"Bladerunner," she said. "I want to watch Bladerunner with you."


End file.
